Point of Ignition
by goldenflames27
Summary: Paranormal like happenings had never interested young waitress, Lucy Heartfilia, until one day she finds herself in the clutches of a man whose quite literally the devil himself.
1. chapter 1

If she had known her entire life would become a figment of deception that day, Lucy would have skipped work entirely. But alas the future couldn't be made known to her, nor any normal human however. The day was of normality, people awoke with the rising sun and carried out their own individual morning routines. Lucy was no exception to this and so after taking the time to make herself presentable and throw her hair up in braids that could make someone dizzy, she headed off to work, the city bus her only means of travel. Money was scarce in her life, something she knew would happen upon leaving her parents three years ago when she was finally the age of eighteen.

When the bus pulled up to the curve just a few blocks from the quaint restaurant she was lucky enough to have a job at, her stomach lurched as it came to a screeching hault. It was something that had never happened before and as she stood her head spun as if the blood was rushing to that particular spot alone. Placing her cold digits against the warmth of her skin she heavily sighed passing it off as simply standing up too quickly after having sat in the uncomfortable bus seat for almost twenty minutes.

Anticipation was something she never really felt, but for some odd reason as she gripped the cold metal of the doorknob she felt as if she was about to walk into her own demise. A knot formed in her stomach and a choking feeling nauseated her as she tried to use her own saliva to forcefully make the lump in her throat go away. Almost immediately she was greeted by her fellow co-worker, a curvaceous brunette named Cana with calming brown eyes and a reputation of being one of the best waitresses they had hired.

"Good morning Lucy." She called as she lifted a black platter high above her head, squeezing between tables to give a group of customers their breakfast.

"Morning." A smile was sent Lucy's way and she barely had the ability to send one back. Instead she just nodded her head, bile rising in her throat as the feeling that an impending doom was awaiting in the near future never left her mind. It still was an odd feeling to the girl and that alone only further worried her. Perhaps she had one of those six senses everyone talked about, the one where you could practically predict the future without really knowing you were.

Maybe she was subconsciously predicting something horrible. What it could be, however, she was left clueless on. However she couldn't let fables of supernatural occurrences keep her from doing her job. Stepping past a couple leaving, the girl slipped through the swing doors to enter into the stuffy and honestly quite small kitchen. It was decked out in stainless steel appliances, everything kept in high standards for the owners insisted that it be done that particular way.

Lucy wasn't one to complain either, knowing that having a clean and up to date kitchen put their regular customers to ease. Some people were just genuinely funny about where they ate and who was handling the food they were consuming. She couldn't really blame them though, personally she wouldn't want someone who picks their nose to be cutting her vegetables with that same germinated finger.

Her fingers fumbled for the neatly ironed, black apron and upon finding it wrapped it delicately around her waist. She always hated the strings mainly because of how thin they are and struggled to tightly string it up into a neat bow. Lucy was a firm believer in being presentable for work and therefore took pride in the littlest of details when preparing for the day, which so happened to include the now perfect bow in her apron. Smiling with a nod to the men and women in the kitchen, she again stepped through the swinging doors, her sneakers squeaking as she strode down to the familiar set of tables she always governed.

Before she could make it to the first table however, Cana stopped her in her tracks, a gentle hand laying flat against her shoulder. Lucy strained to see her from over her shoulder.

"Hey the boss wants you to light the candles on the tables. Don't worry about the customers either I'll take care of them until you're done." The brunette winked at her and if it hadn't been Cana then Lucy would have put up a slight argument. She truly trusted the woman though, having been her waitressing partner for quite some time now. So as the blonde walked past her she nodded with a smile despite the ever present knot in her stomach.

As she made her way to the mahogany drawer in the corner of the main dining hall, she felt out of place and it only got worse the moment her nimble fingers latched around the blood red lighter. A spark ran up her arm and in that moment she couldn't help but rear her hand back. It felt as if a spark of fire itself had just lingered up her arm through deep down in her veins, the feeling reminding her of those you get when holding a sparkler and the tiny reminiscences of fire tickle your fingers. Only this was slightly more extreme.

Shaking her head and passing this occurrence off as lack of sleep from the previous night, Lucy gripped the lighter once more taking notice of how the feeling was vacant as should be. A smile tugged at her lips as she breathily giggled feeling insane for truly believing something odd was happening to solely herself. She felt like some sort of dancer as she bent her body in ways not normally done to avoid bumping into people's chairs or leaning over their food as she stopped at each table and as quickly as possible lit the candles. It was very rare that they did light the vessels of fire, but for some reason today just happened to be a quite appealing day for lighting them.

Lucy finally made it to the last candle, one that was on an unoccupied table in the far back of the room. Skipping over to it with her squeaky converse, Lucy pulled the little black trigger and brought the flame dangerously close to the wic. In that moment she could have sworn she saw the flame grow bigger in a manner that made her almost believe the flame was reaching out towards the wic. Deep in her gut she felt that impending doom slowly rising back up to the surface and hesitated, biting her lip as her eyes moved with the natural dance of the flame. For a moment her conscience told her to walk away, not even bother touching it since no one ever chose this table. She had it made up in her mind that she would leave it be for this table truly was a reject among the others.

But the flame, it seemed, had motives quite opposite of her own. In an instant she had stepped just close enough for the ever growing inferno to barely touch the wic, but it was enough to light it aflame. And in that exact same moment the heat intensified and the flame went with it. The bright oranges and reds it embedded burned her retinas as she stared at the flame that grew to resemble the shape of a human. Perhaps a male seeing as this figure had broad shoulders and a lean figure to its entirety.

The next thing Lucy knew people were screaming and footsteps echoed in her ears as she stayed glued to her spot. She wanted to move, desperately, but it was as if her mind had lost all control of her body and she was left in a heaving mess of short breaths and a feeling as if she was drowning in the heat.

"Lucy." Cana cried out as she jogged over to the said girl. Upon reaching her she gripped her shoulders, an action she did often with the girl, and attempted to drag her away from the flames that were slowly dying down. Only she herself froze at the sight before her as well. Amidst the flames there stood a man, one that had not been there before and who seemed undeterred by the flames barreling off of his skin and dissipating upon reaching the tiled floor beneath him. There was no one to bring the two girls back to reality, everyone having escaped for fear of their own lives as the flames had licked the ceiling above them before dying as well.

And so they stood staring at the male who cracked his neck and knuckles paying them hardly any mind as he did such. A scream rose into Lucy's throat and before she could stop herself, she was wailing like a banshee catching the attention of their unwanted guest.

"Geez would 'ya shut up." His voice was raspy, sounding almost as if he had to clear his throat. Her jaw came smashing together painfully at his request, her fingers shaking as they bunched up the hem of her floral dress. The male wanted to laugh at the girl, his eyes drifting along her body as he took in her entirety. She was dainty and quite thin compared to her companion that was digging her manicured nails into her shoulders.

The one with brown hair didn't interest him in the least, she looked just like any other mundane female running around in this realm, however the other had him hooked. Her hair, it rivaled the light of the sun he craved to live under and a sudden urge to touch it washed over him. He felt compelled to feel it, see if it was as soft as it appeared to be or perhaps test it's warmth. For all he knew she could have been forged from the sun itself with her pale complexion and cherry red lips. Her cheekbones were glossed with pink and her face was rounder than his own narrow build.

Her eyes were dark brown and made him believe they were forged from the earth unlike her body. They were glassy as well and he wondered if she was about to cry.

"We gotta get out of here." The brunette desperately cried into Lucy's ear and she barely had the strength to nod her head. Her entire being was in a shock for she had no earthly idea who this person was let alone what he is. And to make it worse she was apparently the one who dragged him from whatever hole he crawled out of. That alone was very clear to her despite the fact that she felt like she was in a haze. Lucy just hoped this was all a nightmare and in a short moment the annoying beeping of her alarm clock would drag her out of this predicament.

The only noise that came however was that of sirens. The male looked around frantically at the noise, it was one he was unfamiliar with and by the seemingly relieved looks on both of the girl's faces, it meant trouble for him. Stepping forward, the broken chains that once bound his ankles to the ground jangled. Lucy jumped at the noise, her mind caught up in the possibility of making it out of the restaurant alive. Both girls watched as the male opened his mouth, plump lips falling closed quickly in a loss of words. Soulless red eyes grazed along Lucy once more and chills shot up her spine as if they were electricity.

A group of men stormed into the room, their boots heavy as they collided with the ground beneath them.

"Is everyone alright?" One came to face Lucy and Cana while another made his way to attend to the man who they still had no knowledge of. Lucy watched with careful eyes as the odd man averted his gaze somewhere else attempting to conceal his eyes the best he could from these mundanes.

"Sir are you injured?" The man with a rich accent and protruding belly stepped closer, much too close for the demon in question. A simple nod was given before another question was thrown in his direction. It was the most innocent of questions and yet it had him gulping in nervousness. He feared it would not be believable if he told the truth.

"What's your name son?"

With his confidence up and pride laced in his rough voice he replied, "Natsu." The girl with hair the color of the sun approached him after having heard his conversation with the fireman. Cana had already begun walking away with the other leaving just the three of them in the once homey restaurant. Now it was a disarray of knocked over items and scorch marks along the wall and ceiling where Natsu had first appeared out of the flames of the candle.

She knew she was insane for truly believing that this was reality and that she was in the presence of a legitimate demon, but couldn't help but hold on to the possibility of this occurrence being tangible. The most adventure and thrill she had ever received in her life was family vacations from when she was younger and unable to feel gratitude towards the little things her parents salvaged money to do with her. And now that it was gone, she often craved something exciting in her dismal life.

However she would have to proceed with caution around this demon, if that was what he truly is, for something worse than just his random appearance could occur.

Logical thinking ran through her veins and therefore her mind was telling her to get away from this creature as quickly as possible. Her heart on the other hand had different ideas.

This is your opportunity to gain some company.

But what company could a demon possibly possess and how could she even trust him if all she knew was his name?

You were the one who brought him here, it's only right that it be you to send him back.

Swallowing back the lump forcibly forming in her throat she drowned out her heart's desire with the sound of the fireman's dough like voice as he questioned Natsu on how the fire first happened.

Naturally the only responses he received out of either two was that it was a simple mishap with the candle, it fell over and the next thing they knew the table, which was luckily burnt, had lit up like a match. And their lies were bought so easily Lucy swore the demon before her had some sort of power over this fireman. If that be the case then she knew for sure she would avoid him at any cost.

Her lungs welcomed the fresh air as they stepped through the side door of the cafe, the air much lighter as the sun kissed her skin with warmth. Everyone from inside was crowded around each other, chitter chatter lingering in the air as their eyes grazed along herself and Natsu. She had only then realized just how fast her heart was racing, her fingers softly caressing the skin just above the muscle. Natsu watched as she did such, again taking notice of just how smooth her skin appeared to be. Unlike his own, hers had no ridges or callouses, was free from years of tainting. Licking his lips he stepped closer to the said girl.

She was having trouble conceiving it still, her heart and mind battling over something as simple as getting herself involved in this creature or not.

You can't just let a demon loose on the streets, he could end up doing something horrible.

Again how could she trust that he wouldn't do anything bad to her?

Let him stay with you and find a way to send him back. There, it's really simple.

Life was never that simple however and Lucy knew that better than anyone else. After having left her parents to be on her own, the responsibilities of adulthood weighed heavy on her chest for a long time before she was able to financially stabilize herself.

However it seemed as if she had no choice in the matter. Chapped lips pressed themselves against her ear and she could just barely see the red of his eyes focus solely on her face out of her peripheral vision.

"I'll be tagging along with you since you're the one who dragged me out of that stupid thing in the first place." His breath was warm as it blew into her ear and she shuddered at the contact. And just when she thought he was finished he said something else that made her chest clench and her breath

hitch in her throat.

"And if you so much as think of giving me away I'll burn you to a pile of ash."

Her last thought before he pulled away was that apparently candles are the point of ignition for summoning demons.


	2. Chapter 2

For some reason the simple fact that there was a demon lounging on her couch urked her entire being. Shortly after the scene was cleared and her boss sent everyone working that day home, she managed to catch the bus and get to her home before one o'clock, all the while the demon named Natsu followed.

Deep down she couldn't help but compare him to a lost puppy, he was not from here and so therefore she was almost like his only beacon of hope in this dark world she lived in. Albeit Earth was probably like a resort to someone from the one and only hell. At least she assumed so since she had no knowledge of paranormal type things. It had never before interested her and the people she chose to surround herself with seemed to care less about it as well.

Besides that he had stayed relatively quiet and that alone frightened the girl. She had no idea what was running through his mind and at times, when his face would contort into an expression of pure evil, she felt as if she didn't want to know.

"Be thankful Cana didn't spill the beans on you." Her knee came to nudge his elbow, the one that was practically falling off of the couch, as she stared at his feet dangling off the other end of the brown, leather sofa. His hands were secure behind his head, his eyes screwed closed all the while. Lucy couldn't help but seize the moment to fully examine this creature that had been forced upon herself.

He looked, in her opinion, more human than a demon should. His features were well defined, sharp jawline and smooth skin until you get to his hands. It was obvious he had been very rough throughout his life, possibly having fought as to be expected from something demonic such as himself. His body was long and slender to say the least, though his shoulders and biceps were too broad to consider him 'thin'. His attire was very fitting to that of hell, darkened clothes that covered his tanned skin.

There was one thing that separated him from all humanity however. His eyes; they were blood red, the color standing out like a sore thumb against the white. When they landed on her she swore she saw flames dance behind the intensity of his gaze. Perhaps she really had seen them and with everything that had occurred in the span of around three hours she wouldn't put it past him.

"Who is Cana?" He finally acknowledged what she had originally stated before about her brown haired friend.

"The other one who was with me." She was met with a blank expression causing her to sigh and go into a tad bit of greater detail on who exactly she was and what she looked like. Obviously this demon was the type that went based off of appearances rather than legitimate memories or recollections of people. That was more than apparent to the blonde haired girl.

"Oh that's right, I wouldn't count on her remembering me." His eyes fell closed again though his fingers began to twitch with the urge to touch her hair. It was odd to him that the tresses reminded him of the sun, he was like a moth drawn to the brightness and vibrance of the color alone. Typically it was someone else who was mesmerized by what he manipulated, but with Lucy it was quite the opposite.

"And why is that?" Dainty hands gripped her own waist as she shifted all of her weight onto one leg. When he opened his eyes once more he found her quirking an eyebrow, an expectant look plastered on her features.

"'Cause if I don't want 'em to remember me then they won't. Same thing with them dudes in the funky coats, they won't have a single thought of me." His voice was gruntled and she struggled to decipher his words. His accent was different, slurred almost which reminded her of someone who was intoxicated. However there was a slight sophistication with the way he actually spoke though his wording could use a little work. It was blatantly obvious that he wasn't from around here. His eyes alone, which she had come to stare quite often at, could give him away in an instant.

"And what do you mean by that?" Despite the fact that it was obvious Natsu wasn't into answering questions, Lucy asked. She had too because if she were to ever learn anything about this demon she would have to confront him about it although her gut was telling her to lay low for a while. His response came in a snort and a cocky grin stretched across his plump lips.

"Well I mean what I say princess, since I ain't got any special connection with 'em they won't know I even exist. 'ts a demon thing." She wanted to rip her hair out at his response; not because he had just implied that a 'special connection' was shared between the two or the pet name he had whipped up at the top of his head, but because his grammar was horrible. Lucy wasn't necessarily considered the grammar police, but it did slightly bother her that his word choices were awful. With the way he structured his sentences she would have thought he was southern or possibly just plain stupid for that matter. Most likely the latter.

"Fair enough and if you're going to be staying under my roof for the time being I'll need to lay down some rules." Her words caught his attention and quickly he sat himself upright, hands folding together between his opened legs as his elbows rested against his thighs.

"Ah you're the first to challenge me in such a way." She watched as his eyes gleamed playfully, the crimson color beaming as he stared up at her. Lucy couldn't help but compare him to that of a disobedient child being scolded by his mother. The way his facial expression screamed that he was plotting something made her cringe and possibly reevaluate the idea of attempting to tame this beast before her.

"It's not a challenge, it's for my safety as well as yours."

"Shoot then princess."

"That's the first thing, don't call me princess." Her eyes narrowed at him and he swore they held the intensity of ice itself. That was his worst enemy, fire and ice were by proxy polar opposites and ones that couldn't get along at that and her eyes just so happened to be conveying the intensity of the crystals themselves. He could feel the cold crawling down his throat and embedding itself in his once burning veins.

It was almost as if in her presence the air was lighter, colder and he was forced to breathe it in. Her hair, however, spoke otherwise. The strands had him transfixed every time he laid eyes on her and he couldn't help but feel the desire to control them; to control her. Standing to his feet he listened as she aimlessly carried on about the restrictions she would be enforcing on him; something about not going in the kitchen or her room or really anywhere that wasn't supervised by herself.

Natsu could care less what she had to say, knowing full and well that his power could exceed over her greatly. For pete's sake he could take her life right in that very moment if he so much as wanted too. As he stepped closer, her heart began to palpitate and suddenly the height difference between the two made her woozy. Perhaps she should have just kept her mouth shut instead of trying to contain something demonic such as himself.

Screwing her eyes closed she prepared herself for something horrible, after all fighting against him would only result in more pain on her part. Only when his warm body just barely met her own, she was taken aback by his actions.

They were not hostile nor rough much like how she envisioned a demon's caress to be like, but instead gentle almost as if he were treating her like a porcelain doll. His fingers kneaded through her hair as he let it slip through his digits like water. The tresses were indeed soft and most likely even softer against his calloused fingers.

She was cold compared to him and her hair was no exception to that though the color still made him believe she had some sort of affiliation with the sun in a past life. Perhaps she was created solely to destroy his very being. If that be the case then she was doing a heck of a job at it.

"How about we don't have any rules." The suggestion came out in more of a hushed demand than anything else. Natsu smiled at the gaping face of Lucy, the girl in such a state of shock that she couldn't find the words to deny his request. So instead she stepped back, her hair slipping through his fingers once again. Her heart was palpitating and her pupils were dilated from the fear coursing through her veins. Her skin crawled with the satisfied look on his face and she felt small under his gaze.

C'mon Lucy put him in his place. Don't let him have the satisfaction of knowing he scares you.

For once she felt compelled to follow her gut instinct, it's suggestion being one that seemed logical. To her, it was almost the same concept people use when confronting a vicious dog. Natsu is a demon, much worse than a dog, and therefore his sensing of fear was probably spiked to high heavens. Therefore masking her fear would not only shock him, but also prove that she was much tougher than he assumed her to be in his own twisted mind.

Turning her back to him she said, "How about we find a way to send you back to hell." Her confidence was boosted when she didn't have to stare into his seemingly soulless eyes, them alone having the power to sway her onto the path of pure fear.

"Oh c'mon I jus' got here an' you already wanna send me back?" His lips spread into a cocky grin and he chuckled after the words slipped past his lips. Natsu was indeed a bit taken off guard at the fact that she was persistent to put up a fight against him, but he had to give her credit for doing such. It only further validated his claim that she was made from the sun's heat itself, her personality alone rivaling the intensity of any normal heat.

"Yes of course. You're a demon for crying out loud, I didn't want you here in the first place." Lucy had turned to face him once more. She regretted doing that, however, when she was met with a hardened face that looked anything but pleased. Despite the fact that, at first, she had viewed him as some sort of escape from reality; now that she knew he was tangible and real, her life and it's safety had suddenly become much more important than a silly adventure.

Having him around meant danger, just simply conversing with Natsu meant her life was just slightly closer to abruptly ending and she still had so many things to live for.

"Then you shouldn't have summoned me princess."

"I didn't summon you though. I didn't even mean to light that candle it just...happened." Natsu's face scrunched in confusion. He had never heard of something like this before. Typically when demons are summoned, the person intentionally has done it; if not then it's practically impossible to be summoned. At least that was what he was always taught.

Never before had he been specifically summoned and when he felt the pull of the teleportation particles that always floated around in the air above him, he thought that this was his chance to prove himself to be a true demon. But instead when the flames around him dissipated and he was left staring into the eyes of a dainty girl, he felt he was brought here for his own demise.

"What do you mean you didn't mean to light it?"

"It kinda seemed like it lit itself. I was going to, but then I decided against it." Yes, Natsu thought to himself, this was definitely no ordinary case of demonic summoning. If Lucy had no desire to bring him into her world and she wasn't, in technical terms, the one who lit the candle there were many things wrong with the picture he had painted before himself. When he analyzed everything, right down to that very moment, nothing added up. They were both completely and utterly helpless at this point in time.

"Welp we're screwed." The demon before her fell back onto the couch with anything but grace, the hinges deep beneath the cushions screeching with the weight of his body. He tangled his hands behind his head once more and proceeded to close his eyes.

Believe it or not jumping from one realm to another took a lot of energy out of you regardless of how easy it was when using a portal. Even Lucy was beginning to feel the effects of pulling a bulky demon out of a single flame, her hand coming up to her lips as she yawned. The sun was still hours away from setting and she didn't want to waste away the day, but the feeling of fatigue was weighing heavy on her.

Sitting down in the brown recliner adjacent to the couch he had made a home of, Lucy sighed with content; her own eyes falling closed as she calmed her rapidly beating pulse.

"Don't say things like that, you'll jinx us." Natsu's immediate response was to chuckle. His whole life was a jinx, if anything being here on earth was paradise. It was much lighter in this world, the sun comforting instead of overwhelming. There wasn't constant screaming from those damned to the place he called home, there wasn't fire everywhere you stepped. Earth was peaceful to say the least.

"Ha I wouldn't count on that either." She didn't say anything after that, she was at a loss for words. Really what more could she say to him? It was already odd enough that she was sitting so comfortably in her home while the spawn of satan laid on her couch in equal bliss. It was amazing to her just how quickly her life got flipped completely upside down and all because of a simple candle and a flame. They stayed like this for what seemed like eternity to Lucy until Natsu sprang up with a newfound energy just as sleep was about to whisk her away.

"I'm starvin', what do you humans eat?" He was already to his feet scurrying away into the kitchen with his very noisy boots. He had all but forgotten her list of rules and really could care less if he followed them or not. Lucy chose not to answer him in spite of his reluctance to at least acknowledge her restrictions on him, leaving the demon helpless in the foreign territory called a refrigerator.

It was cold inside the vessel and he hated how everything inside of it was just as cold. Did all humans eat their meals at this temperature? That would have to change if he were to be staying with Lucy for the time being, and quick at that.

His long digits fumbled through the various containers of things he was most unfamiliar with until they landed on a red and white box filled with something that held a prominent scent. Whatever it was, it smelt of grease and something else that was distinct but he didn't have the right word to describe it.

The box came crashing down onto the kitchen counter gaining the auburn haired girl's attention. She looked behind her and sighed as she saw him poking around in the bucket of fried chicken. Deciding that she should be the better person and at least help him feed himself, Lucy stood on wobbly feet making her way into her beloved kitchen.

She had always loved spending time cooking something in her gold and red themed kitchen and even now with Natsu standing in the middle of it she felt as if she were a chief. She moved aimlessly as she reached up in one of the various cabinets to get a styrofoam plate, setting it in front of the devil himself.

"What's that?" His finger pointed to the object before him.

"A plate. You use it to eat off of and this.." Her voice trailed off as she grabbed a hearty piece of chicken out of the bucket to gently place it on the plate instead of allowing him the honors of doing that. Knowing Natsu he would find some way to ruin the plate, the chicken, or even her countertop. Perhaps even all three if he got lucky enough. "...is fried chicken. Just make sure you don't eat the bones." Placing the lid back on top of the bucket, Lucy proceeded to return it to it's humble abode all the while Natsu stood and stared at the meat before him.

"I've never heard of 'fried chicken' before. We don't have this type of shit in the Underworld." She couldn't help but smile at the way he referred to his home.

Underworld sounded slightly more comforting than hell, most likely because she was most familiar with the later term and typically related it to anything remotely depressing.

Stepping away from him to find her own self something to eat Lucy said, "Please try not to get crumbs everywhere." Natsu watched her as she moved like some sort of professional dancer, perhaps, to retrieve everything needed to create a bowl of some other food he had never seen before in his life. This food didn't appear to be 'fried' much like his chicken, but instead looked like flakes of something floating around in a sea of white.

Lucy took notice of his staring only to then explain that it was cereal, a food that would actually be healthy for him to eat rather than fried chicken. But alas he had already taken a bite out of the meat and fallen in love with the crispy taste of the crust and liked the odd taste the meat itself contained.

The blonde haired girl went to sit in front of her computer, again having to give an explanation to the demon of what it was and began to search through the web.

"What are you looking for?" Natsu placed his palms flat beside her own, his body hovering over the chair and herself. Looking up she was met with curious eyes, the crimson color never failing to take her breath away. He arched a bushy, pink eyebrow when he didn't receive an answer. She took notice of how his pink hair fell over his forehead in an almost bang like way and she wanted to brush it away just to help him out. Lucy didn't have the nerve to do it though; no matter how attractive he looked in that moment with a perfect view of his sharp jawline and his beady red eyes, he was still a demon and she still needed to get rid of him before he brought pain to her life.

Averting her gaze back to the computer screen she took in a deep breath through her nostrils only to release it in the form of a sigh.

"I'm looking for someone that might help us figure out how the heck you got here."

"So like one of 'em psycho people?"

"You mean a psychic and yeah one of them." A smile spread on her lips as pink dusted her cheeks from what had occurred just mere seconds ago. She'd have to hit herself for thinking that a demon was even remotely attractive.


	3. Chapter 3

Natsu could instantly tell that this place was no ordinary place. Upon arriving at the, what he liked to call, psycho's store he knew that this woman was indeed intertwined with the paranormal world. His world to be precise. She even looked the part, at least to him she did.

Her hair fell in white waves down her back and her eyes were as bright as the sky above. Her skin was a riveting porcelain tone and her frame was petite unlike Lucy's very curvaceous form. This woman by the name of, oddly enough, Mirajane appeared almost sinister to the demon. However to Lucy she seemed very pleasant compared to the actual demon whose shoulder was annoyingly brushing against her own.

They were gathered together in a small room located in the back of the store itself; incense hung heavy in the air like a rain cloud over all of their heads. Lucy wasn't accustomed to the strong scent and therefore broke out in a few gentle sneezes. Every time the noise was emitted from the female it caught the attention of Natsu. The sound itself screamed of innocence and the way her eyes were watery and her cheeks would hint of a blush made her seem all the more innocent. It was attractive in a way to the demon.

What could he say though, no matter how many sins she committed nor how many times her soul was tainted with something evil she'd never quite reach his level. And that made his heart skip a beat. However domination and wickedness kept his heart beating, kept his soul filled with exhilaration. His life purpose wasn't to be here falling for the most innocent of women, his purpose was to destroy her. Whether it be from the inside or out he needed to be her parasite; the thing that would drain her life source and forever leave her broken.

Licking his lips he averted his gaze once she caught him staring and rid his mind of anything vicious towards her. This girl had done no wrong by him yet and her help was in a way vital to his return home. Though he was beginning to feel like he didn't quite want to return. His home was anything but pleasant, but then again what can one expect seeing as it was in fact hell. Or the Underworld as he liked to call it. That way it made the idea of hell seem a little more like home. This world he was currently stuck in was so bright and vibrant and diversity was extraordinary in this universe. His home was dark, deep and menacing as it should be and the most diverse it got was whether or not you had 'powers', much like his ability to control fire. Here the people lived in luxury while down there poverty was richness.

Yes, he concluded, I do believe I wouldn't mind staying here a little longer. Only the girl sitting beside him had different ideas.

"So how am I supposed to send him back?" Her voice shook him from his thoughts, his mind having left the two women completely. He trained his eyes on the one named Mirajane and watched as her face contorted into that of slight confusion.

"Well how did you get him here in the first place?"

"I don't really know. I was lighting candles and then the next thing I know he's just...there." If Lucy could have explained it any better than that she would have, but alas there weren't enough words in the world to explain what had occurred. She barely even knew herself exactly what had taken place that day at the restaurant. She knew for a fact that it went much deeper than just the candle and lighter.

"What about you? Anything odd happen while you were being pulled through?" Natsu's answer came in a snort.

"Be more specific, never been pulled through before." Lucy then sighed and Mirajane grumbled as Natsu leaned farther back in his chair, arms hooked behind his head and his feet rising to rest on top of the table in the middle of the three of them. Shaking her head Lucy proceeded to apologize multiple times as if she were the mother and Natsu was the child that was always doing something horrible. In a way that was how their relationship was at the moment and though the girl with burning golden hair wanted it to be more she knew it was wrong. In more ways than one at that.

"Well," Mirajane began with disgust laced in her voice, "from what I've gathered typically when a mundane is the summoner the demon will hear their voice as they're being pulled through or even feel a connection forming within themselves."

"What do you mean by connection?" Natsu cracked one eye open to look at Mirajane, her voice taking on a much more serious tone.

"Demons don't just appear for no reason. They all want something, a deal perhaps you could say, and if that's not the case then..." Mirajane's voice trailed off before she could finish her initial speech. She gulped as she watched the demon before her eye Lucy as if she were a piece of hearty meat.

Mirajane knew whatever was running through his head was horrible, thoughts that could ruin a person's mind forever and leave them lost and broken in a sea of abandoned hope. She'd been down that road before, she was all too familiar with the situation before her and if she could she wanted to save this girl before it was too late.

"Then what?" Lucy was on the edge of her seat by now. She wanted to know what possible fate lie ahead since in fact she never even meant to bring Natsu to her world. Besides she trusted Mirajane already for really she seemed like the type of person that would put honesty before anything in the world. She did read a lot of good reviews about her online as well, if that accounted for anything.

"Then you'll get killed or possessed. Simple as that princess." Immediately she cringed at the pet name that he seemed to be quite fond of.

"Anyways that isn't our main concern right now. Before we can figure out a way to send him back we need to know the cause of him getting here in the first place. There had to be something you were desiring in that moment or something like that. Demons will appear if the desire is strong enough."

"I was barely even thinking of anything then and I know nothing even remotely paranormal has ever come close to that place." Lucy cried out, her desperation causing her voice to crack as she finished her sentence. As Mirajane and Lucy continued to try and verbally discuss every possible way that he was summoned, Natsu was doing his own searching deep within his mind. He knew everything there was to know about his kind; including summoning rituals of humans. Though humans weren't always the ones to summon demons. Now that the thought had sprung into his mind, the bud of a thought began to bloom until it was a beautiful flower.

"Ignacio." The words fell from his plump lips before he could even comprehend the thought of speaking it aloud. Both eyes fell on the male as he brought his feet down from the table and leaned forward, his head turned to the psychic herself. Her eyes shone with confusion and he snorted as she tilted her head slightly.

"Ignacio? What's that?" Lucy asked frantically. It worried her that not even Mirajane appeared to know what he was speaking of and anymore she didn't know if she was safe in his presence or not. The thrill of embarking on an adventure was slowly vanishing and she began to wish he'd never followed her in the first place.

"An Ignacio is a human that's used as a mediator between two demons."

"But how's that possible? I'd never seen a demon before in my life until I met you."

"There's a way to check if you've been marked as an Ignacio." When they both turned to look at her, Mirajane's head was hung low and she was rising from her chair. Lucy watched with curious eyes as she harshly pulled open a drawer in the far corner of the room. She dug around until she found what she was after.

When Mirajane sat back down in the oak wood chair she stretched her arms out toward Lucy herself, gesturing for the girl to bring her hands forward. Hesitantly Lucy lifted her hands up, her warm fingers being latched onto by equally cold digits. Mirajane gripped the pen like item with her other hand and lifted it up so the blonde haired girl could see it.

However when Natsu's eyes landed on the object he immediately stood from his seat; legs parted in a defensive stance as he glared down at the blue eyed woman.

"The heck do you think you're doing? That thing could kill us both." His eyes never left the object in question, it's name being stele; something that only nephilim used. He knew that something had been off about this woman. She was, in fact, not an ordinary mundane at all. She was a nephilim; half human half angelic being. The very creature that slaughtered things like himself. How could he have missed it before?

"Don't worry I'd never dream of hurting an innocent." Red eyes rolled as he scoffed, arms folding in a manner that reminded Lucy of an angry child. Perhaps that's all this demon was, just a grumpy child on the inside. After all he hadn't done anything in the slightest to hurt her yet; only a threat though now that she thought of it it wasn't even that terrible.

"But you'd hurt me." Mirajane averted her gaze back to Lucy who blinked dumbfoundedly at the demon. It was apparent to the nephilim that this girl was entranced by the male, her gaze almost constantly following his every move. How could she blame her though, even the devil himself was beautiful.

"You ready?" She asked and Lucy nodded, her bun bouncing with the movement of her head. The stele was brought to life, the tip taking on a soft, blue glow as it inched ever so slightly to Lucy's fair skin. Upon contact she sucked in a breath, the same tingling feeling she'd felt with the lighter shooting up her arm once more.

This time it was almost unbearable, the pain having increased tenfold since the stele first embarked on its trail up the underside of her arm. Her fist clenched and unclenched as she bit down on her bottom lip. Once the object reached her elbow the light dimmed down and the pain decreased back to a simple tingle.

When Lucy opened her eyes she gasped at the sight before her. It appeared as if her veins, which were now prominent and a deep crimson, where in the shape of a cursive N.

Even Natsu had taken interest in the sight before him. Taking long strides back to the table, he reached out with one hand and roughly gripped her elbow. Her whole body twisted to face him, his strength never failing to make her seem like a rag doll.

"How in the world did you get this?" His voice was low as he ran his fingers along the skin. Goosebumps followed his trail, Lucy's breath hitching in her throat from the contact. Her stomach felt as if it were in a constant loop of flips and in a way it made her feel sickly.

"I should be asking you that." Cold brown eyes froze him in his spot and he wondered how the heat dancing behind her irises didn't melt him. Natsu never failed to stop and take in the beauty of her golden tresses, still the need to control them, control her, was ever present.

"I don't have the slightest clue. I mean I can't think of any demons lurking 'round here that would wanna talk to me." By this point he had let go of her arm allowing Mirajane the chance to swoop in and take it instead. Lucy was beginning to feel like some lab rat being passed around from one scientist to the other. Only in this case she was being tossed between two creatures she never even believed existed up until just a few days ago.

"Unless somebody wants you here for another reason. Do you have any feuds with another demon?" An arm was latched around Lucy's shoulders as she began to stand, the incense finally beginning to haze her mind. She felt too enclosed now, her mind running a mile a minute as she tried to comprehend everything that was happening. It was a lot harder to process the fact that she was marked with something that connected her to Natsu than it was too even believe that all of this was legitimate.

Without waiting for an answer Mirajane helped the girl to the door, propping it open with her foot as she glared at Natsu who was slowly making his way over to the door himself. She didn't like the demon and certainly didn't feel comfortable leaving him in her care or vice verse. Whichever worked best.

It was apparent that he had no further interest in speaking with her now that they had debunked the reasoning for his summoning in the first place.

Their eyes met momentarily as he stepped underneath the door frame and her skin crawled from his menacing gaze alone. Meanwhile Lucy, who by now had regained her composure, was digging through her pink purse in search of her sunglasses. Upon finding them she lifted them up to Natsu who took them begrudgingly. Honestly sunglasses with butterflies on the sides didn't look good on a demon.

But alas it was much better than taking the risk of someone catching his most unusual eye color. Not even contacts could rival the crimson color of his irises.

"Well thank you for your help." Lucy stepped towards the light haired woman, a wad of green tight in her grasp as she pushed it towards the girl. She hadn't really counted the exact amount, but with the amount of stress Natsu alone most likely gave her she was more than worthy of the exceeding amount. Besides one way or another Mirajane started them off on the right track.

"Oh please I can't take all of this." Mirajane, in protest, began to shove away the other girl's hands. She couldn't possibly take that much money from her, the poor child was already in such a horrid state with being in the clutches of this demon. And a demon he sure was. Mirajane could tell by the gleam in his eye every time his gaze passed by Lucy that he wanted nothing more than to destroy her. That is, in fact, what demons do best.

"You've helped me..us so much. I insist that you take it." The smile she gave off was far from fake or 'put on' in lack of better terms. This girl was like the personification of light itself whereas her counterpart, who was deeply annoyed at the scene unfolding before him, was comparable to the darkness. They were polar opposites in more ways than one and that was concerning to the nephilim.

"Fine, but I beg of you to heed my warning." Mirajane stepped closer, her fingers latching onto Lucy's shoulders as her face was mere inches away from the latters. "I wouldn't put a single drop of trust in him. Assist him in getting back home and that should rid you of his mark. Never take your eyes off of him. Here's something that will protect you from him." As Mirajane spoke she placed something cold between Lucy's fingers, watching out of her peripheral vision as the said demon intensely glared at her. It sent chills down her spine that made her roll her shoulders in attempts of ridding herself of the feeling.

"Are we gonna leave or what?" His gruff voice caused the two to back away from each other, the nephilim disappearing behind the wooden door of her shop. Lucy sighed afterwards, stress weighing heavy on her shoulders. At the moment it felt as if she were carrying a boulder and the only way to get rid of it were to eliminate Natsu. Or better yet simply sever her ties with him.

That way his mark would forever be gone and she would no longer be connected to this demon. It wasn't like she truly cared for him, let alone wanted him to stay for longer than needed. She was seeing past her own selfish desires of having someone to keep her company.

That's what her few friends at work were for. Reality was beginning to embed itself in her mind and she saw past the field of roses and green grass. It was dark on the other side; fire consuming the garden of her mind as the inferno protruded from his tan fingers.

However as she looked up at him and watched as a pout settled against his heart shaped lips, she couldn't help but wonder what he would be like if he weren't a demon. Perhaps maybe then he would have been the guy of her wildest dreams.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been only a day since their return home and yet it felt like an eternity had come and passed. Natsu hadn't uttered a single word to Lucy and because of that she chose to go silent as well. She watched him like a hawk, Mirajane's words constantly burning in the back of her mind like a wild flame. Every dismal movement he made her eyes were immediately glued to him. Even something as simple as a yawn had her on edge. It soon occurred to the blonde haired girl that perhaps she had become slightly paranoid about his presence alone. Though he had never hurt her it didn't mean he never would. She was, after all, dealing with a demon whose power she didn't know the extent of.

It was all the more reason to send him back home and if she were to accomplish that one of them would have to break the ice between themselves. Lucy supposed it would have to be herself since Natsu seemed to all but remember her presence in his life. Only she was proven wrong a mere second before she was about to speak, her confidence built up and then gone to waste as the demon spoke instead.

"Yer scared of me aren't ya?" The question was abrupt, not quite what Lucy had expected him to say. She was, at least, anticipating a snarky remark of some sort; something he seemed very accustomed to doing.

"You wish." Her gaze trained on him as he stood from his place on the floor in front of the blank screen of the television. He seemed to always stare at it and even after offering to turn it on for him he'd refused. She never questioned his reasoning behind it and took to simply assuming it was a demon thing. Natsu took long strides towards the girl and upon reaching her grasped her wrist in his calloused fingers.

"Liar." A smirk spread across his plump lips and her heartbeat quickened at the sight. He never failed to take her breath away whether it be from looks alone or from pure fright. Crimson eyes held her own brown irises and an urge to lean forward washed over the girl like rainfall. He was captivating when he looked at her like that; like he actually held some sort of interest in her, with gleaming eyes and a lightness to his normally hardened tone. A moment passed and soon she found that she was staring. And it was very obvious. He chuckled as he leaned forward, his pink bangs mixing with her own golden tresses.

"I'm not lying." Her voice was hushed and she felt like she couldn't breath with him so close to her. However she continued to take in deep breathes, relishing in the smoky scent that seemed to seep from his skin and intoxicate her, lungs and all. It was moments like this where she wished he wasn't some other worldly creature.

"You're still lyin' princess." He snorted as he forcefully brushed his shoulder against her own causing her to simultaneously move out of the way. Lucy watched as Natsu began to dig through one of her drawers until a single object was tight in his grasp. He held it up and she recognized it as a box of matches she had forgotten she even owned and once again she felt that fear he seemed to constantly instill in her time and time again. She knew not of his motives and feared that he would light her home up in uncontrollable flames.

But instead of any rash actions like how she had played it out in her mind, he lit the match and the flames moved to dance on top of his fingers. It was as if the flames themselves were drawn to him, perhaps as if the flames weren't flames at all but rather moths drawn to Natsu who rather served as the flame in question. The action served as a reminder to the woman of his ability to manipulate flames into doing whatever he desired and with the way he was lurking back over to in front of her made her once again catch her breath in anticipation of what was next.

When he came to her he stopped and with a smile on his face lifted up the digits that were heated with an inferno. It illuminated her face even despite the light streaming in from her window curtains and she stared, transfixed as the flame moved in its own little dance. Hesitantly he brought his fingers closer to her face and instinctively she flinched. However she never backed away.

"Do you trust me?" He quirked an eyebrow as her eyes slowly peeled open and he was met with the iciness he'd grown so accustomed to seeing daily.

"No." He took notice of how her voice shook, as if she truly were terrified despite her attempts at holding her ground against him. Natsu nodded then finally connecting his fingers with her cheek. She gasped, her dainty fingers coming to wrap around his wrist. Lucy had expected there to be pain; after all his fingers were on fire and he had the audacity to touch her. But the gut wrenching pain she had been anticipating for longer than just these past few minutes never came. Instead there was a heat, a warmth for lack of better terms. It felt like the type of warmth a mother's touch always holds; the crackling of the flames reminded her of a sound that lulls you to sleep after a long night of nightmares and agony. Nothing like how a demon's touch was supposed to be like.

Natsu added a little pressure, the flames igniting against her skin as he drug his fingers along her jawline. Her eyes stayed wide the whole time, her mind far from reason but rather mulling on the infatuation she felt towards the inferno that dared not hurt her.

"You should put a little more faith 'n me princess. I ain't all tha' bad."

"But you're a demon."

"Don't mean I ain't gotta soul." His touch was gone in an instant and the flames that had been licking against her skin were gone with him.

"How did it not even hurt me? It's still fire isn't it?"

"'Course it is. However it only hurts who I want it too." He had no better way of explaining it. Words were never his strong suit especially when it came to descriptions. When he touched a single flame there was a process that seemed to always occur whether it be intentional or by the flame's will alone. It was as if the flame became one with him, it's movements reflecting his emotions as if it were connected to him through blood rather than power. He could feel the heat radiating through his veins, the rush addicting to him even if the flame itself was in such a weak state. He had always known the touch of a flame rather than a mother's caress and never cared to personally know what Lucy had experienced in her childhood.

He was raised by flames and flames alone and they had morphed him into the seemingly soulless vessel he was in that very moment. Natsu couldn't change and he sure as heck hoped Lucy understood that. But that didn't mean he held no capability of caring. Or even loving though he'd never felt such a thing in all his existence.

"So what, you just tell it what to do and it magically does it?" Doubt settled in her eyes as her brow creased. Manicured fingers came to tuck away a lock of her undeniably captivating locks and he watched the action closely. Every movement she made reminded him of a robot, programmed to repeat every single day the same way. It was apparent that she wasn't as free as he once deemed humans to be. Her life was already planned out for her whereas his was a never ending adventure, always something new to come across.

"Yeah suppose so. 'ts like the flame has the same brain as me. We think alike. Don't know exactly how it works though so don't pester me 'bout it." Natsu's answer came out in the form of a sigh, his mind never straying from the simple fact that Lucy is an Ignacio. He had no idea how in the world she became one, but that wasn't necessarily the biggest issue at hand. The problem he had with the whole ordeal was who had made her one. There was only one demon prowling around this realm and he knew that it was practically impossible for that particular demon to have created such a thing. Last time Natsu checked neither one of them ever wanted to see the other's face let alone drag each other from realm to realm.

It was too much effort to do such a thing and a big waste of time if you really analyzed it. So how in the world did she become an Ignacio? It was a mystery he'd need to figure out soon, especially with Lucy's growing curiosity which she had just voiced.

It stumped him in a way he wished it hadn't. He hadn't the slightest clue how to answer her or even himself for that matter. She watched as he ran his fingers through his hair, his brows furrowing as he squirmed in his place.

"I don't know princess." In that moment Lucy saw something in his eyes she deemed impossible. He looked up at her, for only a moment, and she saw weakness. The gleam of his eye was gone and they were left dull in contrast to his normal gleefulness. It was almost surreal, so much so that she found herself blinking twice and attempting to catch yet another glimpse. It was a sight she felt would be rare in their circumstances and so she put that look to memory and promised herself to never forget it.

He looked so human then only making her further wish that he was. Then maybe the warmth blossoming in her chest wouldn't be so wrong. Her care for him was best describe as bipolar; one moment she was fond of him and then the next he was only reminding her of his demonic being. After all the blood flowing through his veins was much darker than her own and that same darkness tended to keep his soul tainted. But she wished it wasn't that way, if only for one day.

"Well you're no help at all then." She murmured under her breath just as she came to fall onto the couch.

"Look I'm tryin' my hardest here to conjure up somethin' that could help get this party started 'k. Cut me some slack would ya'?" Natsu came to rest himself next to Lucy only to have her move slightly away from him.

"Okay okay, I understand, but at this point in time we need to work together." She could feel adrenaline surging through her veins as she turned herself towards Natsu and quickly cupped his cheeks with her pale fingers. His eyes widened in shock from her rash and unexpected actions, his heart palpitating despite his urge to push her away. Her fingers dug into his skin and suddenly he felt warmer than he'd ever felt before, as if her touch was capable of burning him.

"Look I know you probably hate me and all, but the only way you're going to get back home is if we team up. Even though you scare the crap out of me I still want to help you. Besides what kind of friend would I be if I were to leave you here to die in my world?" She offered him a smile, one she knew he wouldn't return. Instead his eyes closed and he roughly pushed her away from him. Her back collided with the arm of the seat and she gasped when he came to hover over her.

Red eyes bore into her own brown irises and again she caught a glimpse of his weakness.

"Fine. There's one thing you need to know though." He took her silence as a cue to continue. "The longer I stay in this realm the closer you get to dying." His words took what seemed like a millennia to settle into her mind and upon her finally comprehending his words, she gripped both of his biceps tightly.

"What do you mean?" Her voice was grave, no emotion trailing behind her typically soothing tone.

"'ts something every Ignacio experiences. Your life source is what's keeping me here. So basically if you were to die I'd go back ta hell. However the longer I stay here the more energy I drain from ya until yer run dry." Her eyes began to waver as he continued to speak and soon enough she was crying. By this point he had let her up, however they were still facing each other.

"You wouldn't let that happen though...would you?" She was cautious with her words and Natsu could tell that she was holding back more than just what she said. And once again Natsu was stumped with not an answer even in arms length of being manifested into words. He was no human after all, but rather a blood thirsty demon who wanted nothing more than to return to the confines of the flames of hell itself.

However this girl with strange gold hair and dirt for eyes had ignited something in him he'd never known before and to see her life drizzle away because of him seemed worse than living the life of damnation.

"Do you trust me?" The question seemed odd to Lucy at the moment and she felt somewhat abandoned that he hadn't answered her question first. Scared even since she didn't know what he would do to her.

"No." She replied once more, this time with less enthusiasm than before.

"Good." He spoke, his decision on what his answer to her question would be made up already in his mind. "'Cause I don't really trust myself either." And with that his fingers wrapped around her neck and she lost the breath held deep within her lungs.

She could only think of the necklace resting on top of her bathroom sink and the betrayal it's presence alone held.

\-- **A/N--**

OMG thank you to everyone who has been reading and commenting on my story!! this is my first published work and I'm so excited for the wild rollercoaster of feels that's about to come down the pipeline!!


	5. Chapter 5

Her lips were graced with a deep blue, her eyes watering as she stared into his eyes. Flames danced atop his pupils, quite literally at that. With each passing moment his fingers grew warmer against her chilled skin. Goosebumps trailed her arms and he loved the soft whimpers that escaped her parted lips; perhaps a bit too much.

"Malfermita pordego de la infero." His words came out in a whisper, or perhaps it was because of the ringing in her ears. She didn't know how long he'd held her neck but knew if he went any longer she'd loose herself. Her vision blurred at the edges and her lungs burned with need for oxygen.

"Montri al mi la veron." Slowly, as if she were being sung to sleep, her eyes closed and she was entraped by a foreign darkness. It wasn't like anything she'd ever felt before. No, it was quite the complete opposite of sleep. She could still see despite the fact she was no longer conscious.

Hell she wasn't even connected with her body anymore. Her soul had been ripped from her very being and layed out for the demon before her to devour. And so he did.

Within whatever realm she was in, she felt a relentless pinching that made her want to scream out in discomfort. Where the pain originated, black mist began to pour out like blood from a wound and within it she saw herself.

It was the first day of her new job and she felt just about as nervous as she did on rent collection day. Talking to strangers kindly had always been a strong suit of hers whether she cared to admit it or not and yet she was stuck wiping tables and collecting dirty dishes.

"Hey newbie." A brunette sauntered over to her side linking their arms just as she finished wiping away crumbs. Lucy couldn't help but smile back immediately finding herself jealous of the exotic look this woman held. Her hair reach just above her waist and fell in dark waves, her skin a bit darker than her own and completely flawless. Had she been a customer she would have certainly tipped her graciously if not for her looks alone. "They gotcha on cleaning duty eh?"

The blonde nodded, the bucket full of dishes becoming heavier by the minute. Of course she wanted this job to work out much better than the last one and therefore decided to brush away the pain in her arms and at least try to make a new friend. Blowing away a strand from her face she smiled up at the brunette and gently asked for her name.

"Oh how rude of me. I'm Cana, waitress and breast conesuier. Just from the looks of it I think you're a double D." Cana winked as Lucy frantically averted her attention somewhere else. How she got it right Lucy didn't know, but she certainly wasn't about to express that in front of Mavis knows how many customers. It was already embarrassing enough having them stare her down as she struggled to do her job. Especially with it's simplicity compared to actual waitressing.

"Lighten up would ya." Cana rubbed her elbow against the blonde's. "It's my way of opening up to you." And the way she smiled melted way any doubt the blonde had about working there. All along she'd been filling her head with situations that would never come to pass. And yet as she watched the brunette laugh from deep down in her belly Lucy couldn't help but giggle herself.

And so it came to pass. With the following days Lucy became good friends with Cana and even had her first drink of vodka with the young woman. And yet she still felt as if something was missing in her life. Cana was one of her only friends and soon enough her once small apartment became a mansion in the eyes of the blonde.

She tried dating. It never worked out quite well. No man could ever come close to filling the void within herself. Perhaps she didn't trust anyone enough to let them delve that deep into her emotions or maybe it was simply because all her life she'd lived under the control of a man and wished nothing more than to never feel that way again.

And so that was the only thing she craved the day she made a ditz out of herself at work. It was the first day that she was given the opportunity of waitressing along with Cana and her nerves were already compiled into a mess of emotions. Therefore she couldn't quite help it when she bumped into a person standing behind her.

Before she knew it she was flat on her bottom, soda dripping down her bangs and steaming hot gravy burning the skin along her thighs. She winced as a few younger people snickered and despised the pitiful glances elder folks gave her. Leave it to the blonde to make a fool of herself.

On the brink of tears she swallowed her pride and moved to rest on her knees.

"Let me help you." A soothing voice called out to her and the blonde couldn't help but look up to its source. Before she could take in his features his fingers were gripping her wrist, the digits freezing, the cold wrapping around her minds eye until she could only think of how it burned rather than froze.

"You really don't have to help me sir." She chuckled despite the aching in her chest. Still her heart raced as she glanced around at the various eyes still on her. She'd never live this day down.

"I want to. It's sort of my...duty." The blonde could vividly remember his smile. It shone beneath the artificial light of the dining room, each tooth perfectly placed and sculpted in his mouth. His smile reminded her of a drawing in the way it was proportioned perfectly.

And then she felt it. She could feel the eyes leave her hunched body and the air around her shift. It was lighter, colder almost and she wondered if maybe she'd hit her head on the way down and was imagining things. His touch raised the hairs on her arm, whether it was from frieght or the cold she didn't know. All she knew was that he'd disappeared before she had the right mind to say thank you for his help.

She blinked and she was met with her ceiling fan. She watched as her curtains billowed from the open window adjacent to her bed. Sunlight streamed in and her eyes followed the tiny dust particles as they danced around her room.

Her chest heaved with each breath she took and her head felt as if it'd been split open. Whatever that demon had done to her it sure had taken a toll on her body. And yet she couldn't find herself to be angry with him, rather she was confused on his motives and perhaps a bit intimidated by his strength and power.

But it didn't keep her from staggering into the living room, of course only after wrapping the necklace Mirajane had given her tightly around her neck. Still she questioned it's legitimacy.

When she reached the couch she found the fire demon already sitting up and staring at her, as if he'd been expecting her.

"What the hell did you do to me?" Her voice cracked. He'd been rougher with her than she'd anticipated. Bruises lined her neck and with each swallow of saliva she winced from the dull ache.

"I was tryna' look for who marked ya."

"By nearly killing me?" For once she saw guilt settle in his brow and the demon himself found it hard to look at her. He'd betrayed her in order to help save her, tears streamed soundlessly down her face, clouds blocked the sun from warming his skin. He was lost in the waves of her pain.

He eyed the darkening bruise on her, the color disgusting compared to her precious locks. He found himself reaching towards her and almost wincing himself as she did. Despite how much bravery she posed in front of the demon she couldn't help but shy away from his touch.

The necklace could sense this along with Natsu. The moment his digits grazed her neck he found his fingertips doused in a crimson liquid. Cursing he pulled away from Lucy.

"Look princess all I did was look into yer soul." She took a step forward.

"And was it helpful?" Another step.

"Kinda. Somebody's blocked yer full memory of the day you were marked." Finally the last inch. She wanted to know exactly how the necklace functioned. Apparently it worked, especially if the demon before her was bleeding.

"Is it possible to unblock it? Of course only if it truly is going to help rid me of this curse." To call his crest a curse was to pierce him through the heart. A crest was like a lifeline for a demon. Everyone in existence has one, even those who were once of mortality and fell to the depths of hell.

Calling his crest a curse was calling him a heathen. It was calling him the worst sight she'd ever seen or the most wretched soul she'd ever touched. To hear that from the girl whose hair was like the sun in his orbit made him recoil deep within himself.

Never before had he felt so...unwanted.

"Don't know. Could probably find out though." Finally she closed the distance between them. She wanted to know if she could touch him, if the necklace would follow her will as his flames danced with his smoke filled soul.

Gently she brought her fingers up to his forehead and ran her thumb along his tan skin. She'd always held a slight interest in his hair, completely unaware of his own fixation with hers. And so she gripped the strands of hair just above his forehead and tugged.

"Don't ever touch me like that again." Lucy pressed her forehead against his own. Tugging harder she said, "I want you gone you hear. I want your crest and your existence out of this house asap."

His Adams apple bobbed as he nodded. Her scent overwhelmed him. She smelt of lilacs blooming in the springtime. Her touch was like fresh dew on burning leaves in the summer. Her eyes chilled his very core.

And it was in that moment that he felt compelled to kiss her, to take her in his arms and rid her of what innocence she had left. It was that day that the fire demon knew he didn't want to leave anymore.

A/N

ah I'm so sorry for the extremely short chapter! I've been super busy with school and personal issues so please do forgive me for this crappy post. Hopefully I'll be able to come back to it and rewrite it one day! Anyways thanks again for all the lovely comments. You guys truly do make my day brighter 3


	6. Chapter 6

Weeks passed and they'd grown from acquaintances to strangers. They both noticed a change in themselves since in the days they spent coinciding with each other. Lucy became weaker and Natsu found himself unable to wield a flame. Whether it was from her necklace or existence he didn't know, but either way he was rendered defenless against this foreign world.

But he didn't so much care for that. He was built and regardless of how much fire his fist could contain his muscles were far more advanced than any human body builder. He was like a mountain amongst a pile of boulders.

His worry pertained to the woman before him. Though he couldn't tell in her physical stature, it was obvious in the way she struggled to do day by day tasks that his crest was draining the life right out of her. The longer he stayed the closer to death she grew. And that alone made him recoil within himself.

She didn't deserve this, nor asked for it. Neither one of them had. A third party was involved and still he was unable to pin down the culprit. When he did, however, he'd be sure to get revenge for not only himself but also for Lucy.

The same Lucy that was crippled over the kitchen sink. Blood poured from her lips and he couldn't help but stare as the crimson liquid disappeared down the drain. The tips of her hair were tainted by her blood and he hated the look of it.

But he couldn't hold her hair back, hold her for that matter. Her necklace prevented him from so much as thinking about her porcelain skin. He hated the damn thing, wished he could just rip it from her neck and touch every inch of her body. Memorize it for that matter. Then he would have something to take, back to the depths of hell, with him.

She turned to face him, her eyes watery and lips stained red. Her hair, her beautiful sunny hair, framed her face and she looked like an angel.

An angel ruined by a devil.

"Is this part of being an Ignacio? Getting sick like you have some disease?" Her voice was laced with venom. He knew she despised him but how could he blame her. His very being was killing her off faster than the wretched old land lady that lived just above her.

"Don't know princess."

She nodded turning a knob and washing away the blood from her lips. Natsu handed over a towel for her to wipe away the remaining moisture. He watched as a single drop dripped down her swollen neck. It looked better, but still his presence remained upon her skin.

How had he let himself become so weak to this human?

Anymore she was the only sight he wanted to gaze upon. Her voice was soothing and her presence held an aura that reminded him of everything he didn't have.

But she was not safe with him, not healthy, not happy, nothing. She was soon to be nothing in his wake.

"Hey do you hear that?" The blonde leaned closer to the sink. She watched as water began to bubble up out of the drain, it's color distorted and almost murky compared to how it appeared when it first left the faucet. And she swore she heard it growling.

Not like an animal, however, but more so like someone seething or screaming between their teeth. Before either one knew it the water formed itself into a hand and caught onto the blonde's shoulder. She cried out in pure fear as a figure pulled itself out of the drain.

"I found you Lucy Heartfilia!" A woman's voice cried out from the liquid, dark and hollow blue eyes gleaming into the brown irises of the blonde. And then it hit him.

This thing, demon, was somehow connected to who had planted his mark on Lucy. Perhaps it even was the culprit before him. It was also the reason why she had puked her own blood up just minutes before. Blood was something that demons could use for practically any purpose. Tracking humans being the main one.

Whoever willed his crest onto her could also use it to control certain aspects of her being. A scarier thought to him than the demon trying desperately to pry her mouth open. It was going to posses her and he had no flame, no guidance in preventing such a disaster.

And her necklace wasn't fending it off either.

So he decided to punch it. Perhaps a sloppy choice on his part. Lucy watched as his fist broke apart the particles that were holding together the water demon. The blue tinted water fell with a splash onto the floor. But it was relentless.

Water circled around her feet, bubbling with heat as it burned her ankles. She screamed, praying that anyone or anything would get rid of whatever decided to target her instead of her demonic companion.

"I'll tear you apart from the inside." She heard a voice whispering in the back of her mind. Her ears began to ring, much the same way when Natsu had layed his hands upon her. "He's fallen for you, your soul is very precious to my cause." It was a woman's voice. This demon was a girl. A beautiful one Lucy soon found when she willed the water to yet again form her body.

Her hair was the same deep blue as her eyes and she was thinner than the blonde. Her fingers, wet and yet warm at the same time came to grip her cheeks and Lucy found herself entranced with her beauty. Did all devils hold such godliness?

"Now let me consume your pretty little heart." Her teeth sparkled under the artificial light. And her scream pierced Lucy out of her daze as Natsu poured the blonde's container of iodized salt over the water demons body.

She slowly turned back into water, black and smoky liquid at that. Only as she fell her fingers gripped Lucy's necklace, the chain so easily breaking beneath the pressure. And it disappeared with the liquid as it turned to nothing more than steam.

And within a split second Natsu had her in his arms, her legs dangling as she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck in fear.

"We gotta go."

"But why? You just killed that thing." Her words rung in her head as she stared at the demon before her. She didn't know if it was true, nor did she know how she felt about him. Yes he was attractive, probably the most attractive male she'd ever seen in her life. But he was a demon, her once thought adventure would only lead to her death. And yet here heart raced as he gripped her thighs, as the words of the water demon repeated in her mind.

"Was only a decoy. 'Sides she ain't dead or nothin' princess." He let go of her once they left the confinements of her home, his hand immeditaly gripping her own as he headed west.

"Is it true?" He knew what she was asking about. She wanted to know if he had truly fallen in love with her. Perhaps he had but just pushed it aside as nothing. Maybe he didn't care anything about her at all. Maybe he just wanted her for her body and soul. Either way she deserved at least an answer. An answer he'd give her once they were out of this sticky situation.

Whether she would accept it, however, he didn't know and found himself almost fearful of how she'd react. But nonetheless he couldn't worry about it at the moment, especially with Lucy screaming in his ear that the water demon was back and plowing full speed ahead at her.

He dared to glance back, the woman no longer made of water but rather skin. Skin that was covered in intricate markings. Lucy's necklace was between her fingers, it glowing a deep red. And he then realized what it truly was.

"Natsu!" He glanced at the blonde's fingers as she gripped his bicep, the only part of his skin not covered in black.

She watched as scales the same color as the one on her necklace outlined his eyes, the whites of them turning black only making his crimson pupils pop.

She let go of him, afraid for he looked more like a demon now than ever before. Tripping over a crack in the road Lucy fell to the ground. Her knee was instantly covered in blood and she seethed through her teeth as she wiped it away with her fingers.

"Her blood is rich with your poison." The water demon was upon her instantly, her own pale fingers caressing the wound on her knee. She brought it to her lips, her tongue running over her blood soaked fingers.

She kicked her other leg momentarily knocking the demon off of her. The blonde took that as an opportunity to run, to get away from whatever life she was living. She ran not caring if her legs and lungs burned all the same. Behind her the two demons fought, small sparks of a flame the only idication that Natsu was still taking her side in this battle.

She didn't care though if she ever saw him again, didn't mind that idea of living out her days in peace without ever finding a cure from this disease inside of her. She just wanted an adventure, that's all she'd ever wanted in her life.

But now she was in the crossfire of an underlying source, an invisible war going on inside of her; Natsu's crest versus her very soul.

Maybe she cared for him and that's why she decided to run or maybe she still found hatred within herself for his interruption in her dismal life. Which ever it was it drew her back to him only to find the water demon gone along with his demonic markings.

He smiled because he thought he'd lost her for good, even wrapped his arms around her thin shoulders if only for a moment.

"Let's go get ya cleaned up kay princess." He grinned down at her. She only scowled. He chuckled lending her his back so she wouldn't have to walk.

"We can't go back to yer place."

"I kind of figured that. There's a bed and breakfast down a little ways if you want to stay there." Despite how conflicted she was the blonde nestled her head against her broad shoulder. His fingers gripped her thighs in a way that made her squirm if not for the heat of his skin.

"Just promise me one thing though."

"What's tha'?"

"You'll give me that answer."

She heard him gulp and figured that she already knew what he would tell her.


	7. Author's Note!

Hello lovelies!!!

I just wanted to post a quick author's note so I'm sorry that it's not a chapter! But I wanted to apologize for the past few chapters. I know they are short and not very well written but unfortunately I was very busy with school and things for my upcoming senior year.

anyways I'm out for the summer now and so I'll have all the time in the world to write and actually put out some decent chapters.

as always thanks for all the comments and support you guys have been giving me so far. We're barely into the story so I can't wait to continue this adventure with you guys!


	8. Chapter 7

The bread and breakfast didn't exist anymore, but in its stead a bar. It was called The Steel Room, a name that made the blonde chuckle for it wasn't that original nor catchy. Nonetheless it was the best place to go once the rain hit.

By that point her clothes were soaked through and she caught the demon staring at her lingerie through her shirt more times than she cared to count. Nonetheless she was freezing despite being so close to Natsu's warmth.

"Can't you just make a small flame?" Her whining was incessant and it made the fire demon roll his eyes and huff. If only she knew how much she drained of his own energy. Then she wouldn't be so apathetic towards him and his own situation.

"Can't. Ain't got no strength fer that in this damned world." Now it was the blonde's turn to sigh and roll her eyes. She was just thankful they had found a suitable place of rest, out of the rain, until a sleeping arrangement could be made. She wished nothing more than to go home and rest in her bed, but for all she knew her home could be infested with demons looking to get a taste of her blood. Literally if the so called water demon was anything to go by.

Upon entering the bar she began to shiver, cold air sending chills down her spine. She was met with a long, silver bar and a hockey game playing softly from a flat screen. The walls were decorated with biker gear, anything from a muffler to the face of a radio once installed in a motorcycle.

Even the bartender had silver on his skin. Tattoos lined his arms and piercings adorned his face, as if it were a wall of its own in the joint. His hair, black and moppy, was pulled back by a tiny blue elastic.

"Damn your little friend looks rough." The man behind the bar chuckled. Only then did Lucy notice that she was the only one soaking wet. She watched as tiny droplets of rain fell from Natsu, as if his whole body were resistant to it. She cursed his infernic nature.

"Do you have a towel and restroom I could use please?" As she looked around she noticed that there wasn't anyone in the bar. Seeing as it was close to lunch time she would have thought that at least some drunkard would've shown up by now. But there was no one.

"Sure. Gotta room upstairs with everything in it. Need a place to stay and I'll give it to ya for 50 bucks a night." His smile was so obviously forced, but his price was cheaper than any hotel in the vicinity. Perhaps luck was turning towards her. Only slightly.

"Deal." She sighed pulling out the wallet she always kept in the pocket of her skirt. She was at least thankful that she had her last few paychecks with her plus the tips she so willingly accepted from the vast majority of her customers. In reality she could, should, be renting an actual hotel room. The likely hood of something demonic happening in such a small space was much greater.

But she didn't care. She just wanted a safe place to rest her head that night and if it meant steering clear of her own home, so be it. She wasn't about to loose her life so quickly. She still had a slither of a chance of survival and that alone drove her to stay by his side.

"Great. C'mon I'll show it to ya." Lucy, who was still wet and shivering, followed graciously while her counterpart hesitantly moved in front of her. He stared at the black haired man with burning eyes. It was as if he could sense something off about him, something that the blonde was unable to pick up on.

"My names Gajeel by the way." He glanced back offering them a real smile this time as he ascended the metal stairs. "Stay however long you need. There's fresh towels and sheets plus my wife makes a mean omelette in the mornings." He pushed on a white, wooden door and it was like they'd completely left the bar.

Behind the door was a quaint living space, a tiny kitchen surprisingly without a stove and living room greeted them. It was decorated in warm colors giving it a homey feeling not even the blonde's apartment could amount to.

To the right was a hallway that lead to a single bedroom. The blonde stepped inside of it and looked around. There was hardly any privacy, the bathroom being completely open with no door or anything.

"Is this the only bed room?" The man named Gajeel shrugged and Lucy felt sort of stupid for not asking about it before. The couch seemed big enough to fit one of them and she saved nearly a hundred dollars by taking this room. She had no idea when the restaurant would open back up again so money was quite the issue.

But she supposed it wouldn't really matter if she ended up dying by his hand anyways.

"Ah well thanks. We really appreciate it." With that the man left and Lucy was more than ready to get out of her clothes. The only problem was Natsu who had taken it upon himself to lay down on the bed. It was adjacent to the shower which, unfortunately, had a clear door on it. He'd see her naked if she weren't careful.

"Do you mind?"

"Nah go right ahead princess." He smirked and she felt the need to punch his teeth down his throat in that moment. It was a never ending game with the demon before her. If he wasn't eating he was running his mouth. Perhaps even doing both simultaneously. Yet he always pulled through for her whether a water demon was at her throat or the rain simply left her skin open to the world.

"Jus' kiddin' princess. I'll get ye somethin' to change into." She nodded, thanking him for his kindness as he headed back downstairs. It gave her enough to shed her clothes from her body and get the water hot but nearly not enough time to actually step into the shower.

She saw him out of the corner of her eye and instantly she wrapped her arms around herself. Her hair was long enough to cover most of her nudity, but it didn't keep him from looking after he placed a set of clothes down on the sinks counter.

"Mind if I join?" He grinned, the same grin that he always bore on his face. She stepped forward and instantly hit his chest.

"Can't you ever just leave me alone?" She screamed over the running water. She watched as the steam seemed to be attracted to him. It caressed his skin and barreled down his arms as he moved to her. Before she could escape he gripped her bare hips. Instinctively she wrapped her arms around his neck as he pressed her against his body. The demon gripped a fist full of her hair and bent her head back.

His eyes were a devilish red, like always, and she feared that Gajeel had noticed the abnormal color. She watched as his other hand let go of her body and rummaged around in his pocket. He pulled a string out and on it was the scale that Mirajane had given to her weeks before.

"How..?" He brushed aside her hair and gently clipped the necklace back into its rightful place.

"That scale belonged to my father. How tha' bitch got it I don't know." He bent down and she sucked in a breath as he grazed his lips over her neck.

"I thought this kept you from touching me?" She couldn't help but whimper as he began to suck on raw skin. With every flick of his tongue her fingers inched closer and closer to his hair until she was tugging on the hairs of his nape.

"It did till tha' water demon messed it up." So Mirajane was probably the one who set some sort of curse on the scale so that it would instantly hurt Natsu if he even looked at her the wrong way. It made the blonde wonder why she chose to put so much faith in him when no one else did. Maybe she was just insane.

But she didn't care in that moment. His lips were tantalizing and her lower abdomen ached with need of touch. When he was satisfied with the bruising on her skin he let go of her. But she was reluctant to do the same. Had that been his answer? Allowing her protection even from himself and yet ravishing her neck?

She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off.

"Yer waters gettin cold." He completely left the bedroom with that. She stood for a moment staring at the hickeys he left upon her skin. If this was a demon's love she didn't want it. But if it were Natsu she would gladly reconsider it. He was handsome no doubt and far from a gentlemen.

She continued to stare at herself. Her arms were slightly thinner and her waist had sunken in since their meeting. She was truly growing weaker everyday. But so was he. She could tell in the way he carried himself. He didn't hold his 'high and mighty' demeanor. He was kinder to her. His fighting only came in handy when he needed it.

They were slowly killing each other.

She stepped into the shower, the water feeling so much better after having stood on the cold tiles for so long.

They'd ended up meeting Gajeel's wife. She was shorter than all three of them and beautiful to say the least. Her hair rest against her shoulders and fell in blue curls. And her eyes were a stifling yellow. At least Natsu was trying to hide the color of his unlike the tiny woman before them.

Lucy couldn't help but stare at them as she greeted the two and even helped her husband in preparing them a drink. Lucy didn't like alcohol so a soda sufficed for her, but her counterpart ordered a drink she thought would be illegal to serve to humans.

Levy, the blonde soon found was her name, brought out a lighter and soon enough the beverage had a tiny flame flickering atop it. And Natsu drank it, flame and all, like it was water. So much for keeping his identity a secret. No person could ever take in a flame like that and digest it properly.

"It's good isn't it?" The bluenette giggled smiling at the blonde. Her expression changed to remorse as she stared at her. It made Lucy wonder if she knew her situation, if somehow she'd gone through the same thing and survived it.

"There's been an outbreak of attacks on Ignacios." Levy's voice was low as she spoke, her eyes drifting over the few people who'd shown up for a midday drink.

"Excuse me?!" Lucy cried out in surprise, Natsu chuckling as her stool rocked around. Large hands took hold of her waist steadying herself and the stool. Again he brought heat to her cheeks. She wanted to take his hands and wrap them around her whole being. They were calloused from years of brutality and warm with the inferno that lived inside of him.

"We ain't idiots bunny girl. We know a demon when we see one." Gajeel rolled his eyes attending to Natsu's demands for another cup of whatever they had fed him.

"And I can sense the presence of his crest on you." Levy spoke up as she slid the blazing drink to the fire demon. As Lucy looked between the two she could barely tell who the demon was between the two. At first glance she would've mistaken it to be Gajeel, from purely his looks alone. But upon further investigation it was clear to see that Levy was the one who held demonic powers within herself. Her eyes were a dead giveaway.

She seemed to hold that same souless look that Natsu always had. It also made her wonder if Gajeel was in the same boat as herself.

"I shoulda known!" The fire demon cried out already bobbling around as if he were buzzed. Apparently he couldn't hold his liquor, but then again no one ever could after the blonde witnessed Cana go up against everyone in a casino one night. The woman basically lived off of alcohol which baffled Lucy beyond belief.

"So are you an Ignacio?" Lucy turned to Gajeel. He only shrugged.

"He used to be. At least until he sold his soul to me." Was that how their marriage came to be? A blood oath rather than vows in a cathedral? Would she have to do the same with Natsu?

"Yeah. Too many damn demons came after me. Don't know why but somebodys out for fresh blood."

"Ignacios have been popping up out of nowhere lately and if they're accompanied by their demon still then attacks are almost guaranteed to follow." Levy recounted the reports that had come into the bar over the past few months.

"Still no break through on who's the culprit." Gajeel finished as he wrapped his arm around his wife's waist.

At least now they had gained some sort of information on what was going on. It was a far worse situation than what Lucy had initially anticipated. Who knows what sort of army had been accumulated in order to create so many Ignacios. No telling the reason behind it either. She'd have to ask Mirajane again or perhaps Levy if she had anything else to spill.

That night she couldn't sleep. She ended up crouching beside the couch that Natsu was snoring away on. He looked like a child as he slept, peaceful and happy. Not a trace of the demon coursing through his veins. She tangled her fingers in his hair, her head resting against his bare chest.

She counted everu heartbeat, memorized them even. Soon they'd embark onto the next stop in their trial. She just hoped she'd live to see him return whenever he came from safely.

She fell asleep halfway on his chest, but not before whispering her deepest, darkest secret into his ear.


	9. Chapter 8

QUICK A/N:

Before we start this chapter I just wanted to make a quick little announcement. I've (obviously) noticed that my updates are pretty random and don't have a set day to them so I figured in order to help not only myself out, but also everyone else who reads it, I would set a certain day that chapters will be uploaded on. I decided to pick Wednesday's mainly because it gives me weekends to write. This will probably change when school starts back up but for now it will Wednesday's.

Thanks and as always I love reading ya'lls comments!

Now on with the story!

"My dream is to be a writer!" The young woman, barely out of highschool, declared boldly to the agent in front of her. After earning several creative writing awards in her highschool career, Lucy gained the unlikely opportunity to meet with a publishing agent. This was her only free chance to land a job and get her completed novel out on the shelves.

"Sweetheart I hate to burst your bubble but we have way too many ametuers on our hands to begin with." Her hands sunk to her sides and her heart felt like it was in her chest. She thought for sure her passion for words would outweigh the little flaws she knew still existed in her works.

"Please just one chance! I can prove to you that I'm much better than this." She'd be willing to get down on her hands and knees if it would land her this job. Her mother had always cheered her on from a very young age and with her passing went the only support system she had for her dream.

"Look you got skills kid, it's just your story is too cliche. People get tired of these kinds of romances." The agent slid the piece of paper with her pitch back over to her.

"Maybe write something else and come back again. In the meantime get you a job at hooters or something, you could be making so much more money with your looks alone." The man chuckled as he left the room leaving the girl in a heap of emotions.

So she went and got a waitressing job, not the kind where her breasts would get her major tips though. And from that day on she began to write 'Fairy Tail', a story about a guild of mages and two unlikely friends who fall in love.

But she died before it could ever be published.

Startled Lucy burst into a fit of tears the moment she woke from her dream. She was on the floor, Natsu stepping over her body.

"Sorry princess didn't mean ta knock ya down." He huffed, smiling as she kept staring at his bare chest. But his smile faded the moment he noticed that she was crying. He squatted in front of her, his knees cracking as he did such. He furrowed his brows.

"Will you promise me something?" The demon nodded.

"If I die will you give Cana the book I've been working on?" Natsu didn't know quite why she was asking him to give that woman a book, but it was the least he could do for Lucy. So he agreed no matter how oblivious he was to the importance of that one book.

"Ya won't die though." He cupped her cheek wiping away the dampness with his thumb. No, he wouldn't let her die. At least not without a fight.

"Everything's against my favor at the moment." She scoffed, trying her hardest not to grab his hand and hold it. Make him hold her fully and wholly. She was catching feelings, both physically and emotionally for the man before her. Thus what she told him the night before.

"So? Ya got me." She laughed. Genuinely laughed at that. She laughed in a way she hadn't in a long time, so much so that her lungs cried for air.

"You're the problem dumbass."

"You so easily forget tha' I'm struggling here too." His brows furrowed and he let go of her face. With both hands now gripping her shoulders he stared intently into her eyes. Those eyes that never failed to give him salvation.

"You're a demon Natsu! An immortal being. I'm human. I only have one chance at life and one of your little Satan buddies has ruined that for me!" He had no response. She wasn't wrong. Yes he was growing weak, but only his power not life force. As she grew weaker she also grew closer to dying.

It was the inevitable fate of an Ignacio. Of course unless they fixed the problem.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pick a fight." She shoved him away from herself and stood.

"But you're right princess." She stopped in her tracks. He mimicked her movements, coming to stand behind her back. Her shoulders sank and she turned her head slightly in order to look at him.

"Yer dyin' and I haven't done shit." He brought his hand up and covered her eyes, his other finding refuge around her waist. She sucked in a breath of shock.

"But I will. I swear it to ya Lucy. So trust me." It was the first time he'd ever said her name. That alone made her heart race and a smile to graze her lips. She relaxed beneath his touch and let his fingers roam her body.

Until a knock resounded in the quietness of the room. Lucy pulled away first, quickly and hesitantly all the same. She didn't want her desire for him to be shown. At least not enough for him to take advantage of the information.

Behind the door was Levy, smiling and holding a pile of clothes the blonde could only assume was for her. "I thought maybe you'd need these. They should fit you just fine." Levy giggled, stepping into the apartment.

Her fingers grasped a strand of Lucy's golden tresses. The blonde furrowed her eyebrows, staring at the beautiful demon as her eyes stayed transfixed on the strands. Levy looked as if she was going to cry.

"Do you mind if I braid your hair? Please?" Without hesitation Lucy nodded, her eyes landing on Natsu who always seemed to be staring at some part of her body, hair included.

So Levy braided Lucy's hair all while Natsu lounged around seemingly staring into space. She wanted to know what was running through his head, what made him ignore every little word spoken to him by either woman.

"All done!" Levy clapped proud of her creation. Lucy stood and looked at her reflection in the mirror above the couch. She stepped closer, her fingers gently touching the multiple braids all put into one.

"It's called a warrior braid." Levy called out from across the room. Natsu snorted, gripping the blonde's knees. She sucked in a breath, startled and completely unaware that he was sitting right in front of her.

"Some warrior she is." Lucy glared down at him. She opened her mouth about to give him a snide remark in hopes of shutting him up, but she was interrupted. From below them loud bangs errupted amongst a fit of screams.

Natsu rose to his feet, knocking the blonde down onto the couch. Levy made her way out of the room and down the stairs, Natsu following in her stead. Once the blonde gained her composure she ran as fast as she could down the stairs, only to be stopped by Natsu.

"Stay behind me." He whispered, never taking his eyes off of the scene before him. In the middle of the room was a pool of blood, bodies of people she didn't know laying everywhere. And there in the midst of it was Levy, crying at the top of her lungs as she held the head of Gajeel. Lucy watched in horror as a crystal colored arrow broke beneath Levy's body, the thing having been what ultimately hit and killed Gajeel.

Tears relentlessly streamed down the female demon's face as she cut her wrist and poured her blood past his lips and down his throat.

"Come back to me, Please! I love you. I love you!" Natsu's shoulder stiffened at her words. He noticed a man in the corner, his hair nearly black and a bow made of ice stiff in his hands. Another arrow was already cocked back, his breathing deepening as he let it slip between his nimble fingers. It went through her head. Crimson mixed with blue as her body fell slack over her lover's.

Lucy screamed.

In an instant the attacker was creating another arrow with whatever power he possessed, prepared and ready to kill both of them. Natsu slapped his hand over the blonde's mouth, gripping her waist as he pushed her back into the miniature apartment. He slammed the door closed with his foot, Lucy falling over in a heap of emotions.

"Levy." She repeated her name, snot and tears wetting her lips, chin, all the way down to the valley of her breasts. "And Gajeel. They're.."

"Would ya shut the hell up!" Natsu screamed at the top of his lungs. Lucy looked up, her fingers pushing back the stray hairs that had fallen out of her braid and into her face. "You get outta here. Forget about me. Live yer damn life ya hear." Her eyes widened and she quickly stood to her feet. She gripped his shoulders for balance.

"What are you talking about?"

"Tha' bastard out there is about to kill one of us so I thought it'd be me. Then ya won't be an Ignacio and he won't need ya anymore." His eyes were heavy, his breaths were uneven and he looked as if he were about to pass out. So that's how it was going to be. He was going to sacrifice himself in order for her to live.

"Who dictated you to be the hero? Huh?" She smacked his chest. "Your death solves nothing, it only creates more problems. Don't you understand that it'll only erase your crest. It won't take away my knowledge of you and your kind nor my feelings!" She pulled away the moment she realized what she had just said. She'd confessed. Though she didn't know if he quite caught on to that little feat or not. She wouldn't take back her words though.

His death would only cause her more problems. For all she knew that demon could take her hostage and torment her for answers about fire demons that she probably didn't even know. Her feelings would remain. Her weakness would too. Besides she didn't know where he'd end up. Throwing away his life was something she wouldn't allow to happen. She valued his life just as much as her own.

So when an icy arrow came barreling threw the door she didn't regret pushing the off-guard fire demon out of the way. It hit her in the leg, her cry of pain snapping Natsu out of his daze. The ice demon pushed his way through the splinters in the door, grabbing the blonde and throwing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

And he was off, a bubble of water protecting him from any attacks the fire demon could throw his way. Natsu then knew that the ice demon and water demon were in alliance and that they had stolen the one person who'd ever shown him any affection in is life.

Everyone around him seemed to always die. Lucy, he vowed, would be the only exception.


	10. Chapter 9

Thin pieces of cloth did their best to cover her nudity, gold and red jewelry adorned her arms, legs, even her neck as she stood at the alter. Blood still stained her leg, the wound having clotted by that point, but it was painful all the same.

"You gained a very important piece to the puzzle Gray...and Juvia." Lucy's eyes peeled open at the voice. It was deep and husky, her skin crawling with every word he spoke. Her ankles were chained to the alter that she stood on, the red stairs leading up to her covered in rotting bones. Even the walls were adorned with the bones of once living beings. Some even still had chains around their wrists leaving her to believe they were fresher than the rest.

"Do you like my decorations? I just got a new pair for that wall over there." She couldn't see the man's face for it was covered by a hood, but still her gaze followed his bony finger to another wall. She gasped, her throat constricting as she held back her tears. Chained to the wall was Levy and Gajeel, blood still running down both their barely clothed bodies. "Oh you know them do you?"

"You sick bastard!" She cried out despite the ache in her lungs, the chains rattling as she tried her hardest to move from her spot. Out of the shadows appeared Juvia, the water demon she'd fought with before. And before she knew it, the woman smacked her. It felt like tiny needles piercing through her skin, like a belly flop straight into the unrested sea.

"How dare you talk to master that way!" The woman screamed in Lucy's face. And when she did she saw pain in the water demon's eyes. How she didn't notice it before she didn't know, but her anxiousness was written all over her face. It was like a plea for help and it drove Lucy further to want to save how ever many of these demons she could. They were oppressed by some higher source, humans...Ignacios being drawn into it all the same. Perhaps it would end up killing her, but she'd rather fight than go down because she never tried.

"What do you want from me?"

"Glad you asked. You see I have a boss, he's a pretty big deal where I'm from, and he wants to save this world." He began his ascent up the stairs, coming closer and closer to the blonde. "Humans are blind to the truth of this world. It was never meant for you weaklings, no; it was made by God himself to be taken over by those who are strong. Those of us who could populate the land with wealth rather than filth.

"That's where you come in darling. Every Ignacio brings us closer to opening a portal big enough for my boss to pass through and still maintain control of his entire power."

He gripped her chin, moving her head harshly so that she was forced to look into his eyes. They were a dark color, almost black even. His teeth sparkled white as he smiled, pulling his hood from his head. His hair was long, black and almost reminded her of Gajeel's only less frizzy and unruly.

"Now you'll do everything I ask of you or your little friends will die for sure this time." Her heart leapt into her throat at the words. So Gajeel and Levy were still alive. She wanted to sigh in relief, to cry even more simply because they were okay. They'd been the best hospitality she could ever ask for and because of her they were in this situation. So she agreed to listen to his reason, to do whatever he asked so that they could be freed. True to his words once she agreed, Juvia and the ice demon whose name she remembered to be Gray unshackled them from the wall and hauled them off.

She could only hope at that point that they would return to their normal lives, maybe even help Natsu in locating her if these wretched demons hadn't already gotten ahold of him.

"Good girl." He ran his fingers through her hair, bringing the strands to his nose and sniffing. "Your hair entices me." He whispered as he then ran her blonde tresses over his thin lips. She shied away from him, trying her hardest to move event he slightest. She couldn't figure out why all these demons went after her hair, had no clue that each one saw it as a safe haven, as the light they never saw growing up. "I bet that fire demon likes it to, fucking pig." A blade crossed her eye and she watched as chunks of her hair fell to the floor.

Then the blade met her wrists, his lips coming to suck away the blood.Her arm started to tingle, the same one that held Natsu's mark on it and her stomach churned asthe wound began to heal itself.

"You'll be assisting me in luring the fire demon here. He's also vital to thisoperation. In case he never told you, his brother isking of hell and also the one we're trying to release on this world." Her eyes widened. Natsu had never told her about that. It only reminded her of how little she knew about him. Despite her feelings towards him she couldn't help but want to smack him. Hurt him beyond belief even. He acted as if hehad no idea why he was here in this world, whysomeone would want his presence here enough to attach himself to her. And yet it wasall because of his brother.

"So he didn't tell you did he?" His boney fingers wiped away one of her tears. "Didn'tknow you werescrewing a prince did ya?" He chuckled, snapping his fingers as he turned away from her and started down the red steps up to the alter. "Well good news for you, you wont be dying. At least not today."

The demon named Gray graspedboth her arms, holding them above her head as Juvia unshackled her ankles. He hoisted her up in his arms just as he had done earlier.

"My name is Mard Geer by the way." The man spoke, waving a single hand to her as she was carriedoff.

"Did you remove his crest?" She cried out causing Gray to stop and look back at his master himself. The question caused him to smile. He hadn't thought that she remembered him from the restaurant. He was sure he'dcasted a strong enough spell to keep her from making out his face entirely.

"Of course not, I merely made it stronger between you two. Had I done that then he would be goneand back in hell fuckingevery pretty demon hecame across." Mard laughed, sinisterly, as if he knew he'd just struck a chord within herself. Her heart sank. What if he were telling the truth? What if after all this time, after everything she was now willing to sacrifice for him, he was only using her as apawn in some sick game to bring hisbrother to his realm?

She was once again in a state of confusion. She didn't know who to trust anymore. Demons were her only friends, and her only foes.

She wasthrown into a jail, though it held alot more comfort than others she'd seen before. Allaround her were othercells, nearly every one filled with another person, bruised and broken far worse than herself.Her inside of the cell was large, but only held a bed, a corner full of hay and three brick walls.

A guard stood at every corner, each one's eyes a differently color than the rest. As she pondered over it she came to the conclusion that their eyes might reflect what race of demon they were. Natsu's was red, fitting for a fire demon and Levy's were yellow much like the golden words she manipulated to create whatever weaponry she wished for. Even Juvia's were a deep blue like water.

She looked around the cell, finding herself longing for her own bed as she laid down on the cot. Luckily it had sheets, but they were dusty and made her skin itch with every move she made. She stayed in one position, the most comfortable of all, and stared at the wall separating herself from another person. She assumed they were an Ignacio and that the bones she saw earlier were from the demons that ultimately brought them to this situation.

She noticed a hole in the wall, a quite large one at that. With nothing better to do she went over to it and looked through. There she found a woman, her hair red and flowing with the wind from her open window. She turned and looked at Lucy straight in the eyes. There a was child tucked tightly into her robes.

"Help us." She mouthed, her lips cracked and stained with blood that'd been there God knows how long. Lucy got closer to the hole, squishing bed body against the cold brick.

"Don't worry I'll save you." She smiled gently at the woman. She even promised it through that hole. After recieving a thanks from the woman, she turned back to the bars that kept her locked in. She'd have to come up with a plan and quick if she were to actually accomplish anything.


	11. Chapter 10

She'd been in her cell for 2 weeks tops. She only knew this because of the fact that throughout those weeks she'd been watching the schedule changes for the guards stuck down there with her. She even grew accustomed to each one, how lazy they were or how attentive they tended to be if they heard even the slightest of sounds. She'd even found one that would be her ticket out of the cell.

She also grew close to the woman beside her. Lucy found that her name was Erza Fernandez, a red head that was neither Ignacio nor demon. Rather she was pure human. The same could be said for her husband, Jellal, who she knew was most likely breaking every law and loophole in order to find her. She was stuck there because her baby had been marked.

Lucy couldn't help but stare at the child through the hole late at night, it's fingers so small as it clasped it's mothers warmth. She could only imagine the pain the baby was going through with it's soul being sucked away from it.

She talked a lot with Erza, making the idea of being trapped a little less scary. She almost considered the red head as a friend, one that understood how hard it was to be in her shoes, especially since she was witnessing her child deteriorate each and every day.

Having her to talk too was better than having Natsu.

Lucy thought about him every waking moment. He was her thoughts as she fell asleep and still he lingered even as she awoke to receive stale bread and dirty water for breakfast, one of her only meals if she was even lucky. If you caused problems you didn't get fed and boy was she quite the trouble maker. It helped in formulating the perfect plan to get out of this hell. Most days she would talk to the guard posted nearest to her.

In the mornings there was an older man, with crinkles around his eyes and mouth. He ignored her every time she spoke. Even trying to entice him with her body didn't work. He refused to turn an eye to her. However he wasn't that much of a factor in her idea for busting out.

In the afternoons, when the sun was at its highest, a woman came in. She on the other hand was probably the toughest out of all of the guards. Her hair was black and long. She was tall, taller than herself if she had to guess.

Sometimes she would speak to Lucy, but she couldn't get anything more than the time of day or when their next meal was.

That's why she was betting her money that the boy who came in for the night shift would be the one to let her out. He was short in stature, had unruly blonde hair and freckles that lined his face. They almost looked like spots. He liked to stare at her and had a bad habit of whistling in order to keep himself awake on the job though it only proved efficient on certain nights.

And the following night his whistling would be beneficial for her. She'd already warned Erza earlier that morning that tonight would be when she'd attempt her plan. Her heart pounded with each shift change, especially when the boy took post.

It took him a few hours to even begin his tunes. They normally started off slow and methodic, but picked up speed later into the night.

She just had to wait for the perfect one.

And when he started humming it she stood to her feet.

Swirling around on one foot she sucked in her stomach and prayed it would make her breasts appear larger. She continued to spin even when his tunes faltered momentarily as he lay eyes on her. Her fingers ran across her breasts.

"Oi what the hell are you doing?" Lucy made her way to the bars, her fingers gripping them tightly. He gulped as they slid up and down until her fingers were growing numb and her skin rubbed raw.

"Don't stop. I was quite enjoying dancing for you." She purred trying her hardest to hide the disgust in her tone.

She moved back to the middle of the room, her legs moving to their own beat. The demon watched, enticed and wanting her badly. She'd trapped him within a matter of minutes. Now it was his turn to be easy prey, rather than defenseless humans.

His song matched her steps, upbeat and tantalizing. She bounced around on her heels, touching herself as she shook her hips and bobbed her breasts like they were nothing. She hated doing this, but if it meant freedom for the baby and mother beside her she would do it a million times over.

She stopped, nearly out of breath. Her fingers ran through her hair, at least what was left of it. The only part that had been spared from his blade was her bangs and two long strands that always seemed to stay in the front. The rest had been hacked off mercilessly, much to her dismay. She had spent years growing her hair out to be as long as it was and now a demon was using it for mavis knows what. She could only hope at the end of this she would have enough peace to grow it back out.

But she couldn't worry about that. She had a demon to seduce.

"Why don't you come dance with me. It's been so long since a man has touched me." She licked her lips just as the demon did, drawing out every last word. A few of her fingers ran down her thigh and towards her core. Yet she pulled back just as she reached it. She wanted to make him so hot that his right judgment would be gone, though she doubted it would take much longer. He seemed more likely to run into a brick wall than avoid it if anything.

Needless to say he was..well stupid.

"Only if ya let me do more than just dance." His eyebrows rose in excitement as she nodded, biting her lip as she watched him fumble with the keys. Before she knew it the barred door was open and she was being pressed against the wall. His lips fell onto her neck, but he paused before continuing with his actions. She heard him sniffing. "That damn fire demon's put claim to ya." He grumbled.

Lucy's cheeks heated despite the situation. As much as she'd like to question him on what he meant, she couldn't. The keys were already in her hands, and she'd even had the chance to snatch away his bat while he was so occupied with Natsu's scent on her skin. She wasted no time in hitting the back of his head. He fell to the ground, groaning and gripping his new wound.

And she was out of her cell in a quickness, making sure to close the door behind her so that the demon couldn't escape.

"Damn bitch!" He hollered.

Lucy opened the door for Erza, pushing her along though not too harshly. The baby wailed in her arms and she was sure it would alarm the other guards posted around the vicinity. Erza was her main objective, the baby the reason she would risk her life right here and now if she had to. A bat could only get her so far against an army of demons, her humanity already a disadvantage beyond belief.

"I remember the way they brought me in." Erza spoke, pointing towards a narrow hallway lit with torches on the walls. How idiotic had they been to allow her the knowledge of knowing the way out? Unless it was a trap, but how much of a trap could it be if it were a straight way to the outside world? Lucy didn't care just so long as Erza and her beautiful baby girl were able to return home.

She could hear footsteps down the other hallways, the steps heavy like thunder before a storm. They would get to them before they all made it to the door. It was the one moment Lucy had to the be hero rather than a villain's secret lover. She gripped the bat tightly stopping in her tracks as the redhead scurried down the hall.

"I promise!" She cried out. "I promise I'll kill every last one of these demons until your baby is safe again!" The last thing she saw was Erza passing through the door, the light shining brightly against the tears brimming in her eyes. She mouthed a thank you, her baby growing silent with the sunlight. They were free.

A weight was lifted off of the blonde's chest.

She smiled, even as guards left her with no way of escaping herself. She turned, no longer afraid despite the rapid beating of her heart. The water demon stared at her, holding stance in front of the rest of the demons, like she held authority over them. Her eyes held worry, concern though she didn't know why. Lucy raised the bat, her feet parting as she prepared to go down with a fight.

"Master wants to speak with you Lucy Heartfilia." Juvia lifted a hand, holding it out for Lucy to take.

"Screw you and your 'master'." Swinging her arm with as much might as she could muster, the blonde sent the bat barreling straight towards the water demon. Without a water source around she had no way of blocking it with her demonic power. Not even the guards seemed like they were strong enough to take on the might of such power. Lesser demons, she assumed them to be.

It hit Juvia in the head, knocking her to the ground as her subordinates cried out in shock. Lucy took this opportunity to head in the direction Erza went. She was so close to freedom, so close to to going back to Natsu. The first thing she would do when she saw him would be wrap her arms around him, hold him and hope he never let her go again.

Maybe she'd even tell him how she felt since he never seemed to have the guts to give her a direct answer himself.

Her fingers latched onto the warm knob. She turned it and barely cracked the door before pain blinded her right mind and darkness consumed her. Gray, the ice demon, watched as she fell to the ground, Juvia's blood coating the bat he hit her with and now what was left of her hair.

"Grab Juvia and let's get out of here quick. Mard'll be pissed if he finds out what we're doin' here."


	12. Chapter 11 (Super Short)

She woke up with a splitting headache and her head resting against something bony. She lifted herself up from her crouch, her eyes drifting around the room. She immediately recognized it, the kitchenette, the decorated walls and warmth of the vicinity.

She was back in the apartment Gajeel and Levy rented to her, the last place she saw Natsu. Oh how she'd missed him, but what was she to think of the information she gained while in the custody of Mard Geer?

She couldn't worry that much about it. No, rather she was concerned with the fact that the water demon, Juvia, was sleeping soundly next to her. Hadn't she knocked her out cold? Blood stained her forehead, proving that she had indeed done damage to the woman.

She stood to full height, careful not to touch the demon and wake her. She was out cold, her breathes deep and even. Lucy figured she wouldn't be up for a while.

The apartment was otherwise empty. No sign of Natsu nor the lovely couple that barely made it out with their lives. How they hadn't died from their initial injuries, she didn't know.

Levy's spare clothes were still where she'd left them, folded neatly atop the dresser. She grabbed a pair, one that she knew for sure would fit her decently.

A bath sounded a lot more relaxing than a shower. Less standing and effort on her part lest she topple over and kill herself on the shower knobs.

That was something she didn't need to happen anytime soon. Her hopes of survival were dwindling, but she at least wanted to carry out her last days in bliss. That was her only wish.

Even as she stared at the steaming water fill up the tub, she didn't have the urge to emerge herself entirely and never resurface. Rather she slid in to her collarbone, nearly a months worth of dirt and grime spilling from her skin.

The blonde closed her eyes and sighed. It had been a while since she felt truly relaxed. She wasn't even worried about the fact that Juvia could emerge at any moment and pick her off. Whose to say she would even fight anymore.

But she would. She had made a promise to Erza and her baby. A promise that she would end this mess, get rid of every last demon until all Ignacios cease to exist.

She wouldn't kill Natsu though.

She couldn't.

She spent most nights thinking of him, dreaming of his touch. His lips. His voice.

She was utterly, helplessly in love with the demon. She'd rather him drive a knife through her heart than stick him 6 feet under. He meant more than the world to her.

Without him she wouldn't have felt adrenaline for the first time on her life. She wouldn't have met Mirajane, Levy nor Gajeel. She wouldn't have found value in a person's life, especially her own. She wouldn't know what love truly meant.

She found herself crying before she knew it.

"Why do you always seem so upset?" Her shoulders shook as she looked up from the bath. Juvia stared back at her with confused eyes, her brows furrowed and mouth parted.

"I mean no harm by you. Not anymore. And I can fix your hair." Lucy's fingers tugged at the strands tickling her neck. It had taken her years to grow it out to its previous length. She missed it greatly.

She averted her gaze as Juvia stripped down to nothing. The water splashed gently against her chin as the water demon stepped inside of the tub. Their knees touched, even after Lucy had curled herself up in order to make more room for the demon.

But it didn't necessarily matter for her body took shape with the stilling water, her skin nearly the same shade as the water beneath the bubbles.

They sat in silence for what seemed like forever, Lucy not knowing what to say to the girl and vice versa. Tears still stained the blonde's cheeks.

"Turn around and I can use my ability to grow your hair back." Hesitantly the blonde shifted herself, some of the bubbles and water spilling from out of the tub. Instantly she felt water tugging at the tips of her hair, each one growing more painful until she was whining with each stroke.

"I know it may hurt, that is just my water digging into your skin. I can give you nutrients from my skin in order to grow it much quicker than normal." Juvia spoke as she continued to work her fingers through blonde tresses. Lucy watched out of the corner of her eyes as water seemingly manifested itself into her hair on its own.

"Why are you being so kind to me? What made you change whose alliance you decided to pertain to?" She seethed as another hard pull made her scalp sting. She knew it couldn't have been Natsu who had convinced or threatened her to take allegiance to their cause. It had to have been someone else, someone with greater influence over her that made her take the bait.

"It was because of...because of my beloved." She stopped her menstrations, the water dripping from Lucy's hair like a leaky faucet. She turned around and watched as tears streamed down the water demon's face. Her fingers gripped her cheeks. "He never wanted to be apart of Mard's plans to resurrect the king, but our lives were at stake. The moment Natsu offered us freedom he forced me to take it."

Lucy chuckled, her fingers wiping away Juvia's tears only to make it worse with her damped fingers.

"Now you're the one upset." She giggled, completely understanding the idea of wanting to follow your lover's wishes. If Natsu had wanted her to take off to safety she would, but she doubted she could leave him behind. Of course granted it wasn't to save his life like she'd done just weeks ago.

"Please forgive me, Lucy. I don't wish to be your enemy any longer." Lucy smiled brightly and couldn't help herself when she hugged the little bit of the demon that was still skin. She was warmer now than every before, warmer than the water and brighter compared to the way she was down in the dungeon she was thrown into.

They talked, mainly about the two demons they cared so much about. They grew closer and the blonde found herself happy to have yet another companion on this long journey as an Ignacio. Juvia had done wonders to her hair. Wet, and even dried, it rested against her hips in gentle waves. It was even longer than it was before. She adored it.

Juvia even helped her pick out an outfit, a crop-top and blue jean shorts. While Juvia decided to tend to the wound Lucy had graciously given to her, the blonde skipped merrily down the stairs in hopes that she would find the man she wished to see the most.

She found him hunched over a cup, a flame lit around the rim of the cup. She watched curiously as he stared at it, his fingers barely able to hold it longer than thirty seconds. The veins in his arm grew a deep red each time the flame was about to die upon his finger. He was growing weaker, their bond stronger as an N burned beneath her skin. It was more than it had ever been before.

"We're toxic to each other." His eyes gazed across his crest on her arm. She felt under pressure, like he was judging how it looked on her. She found herself covering it with her fingers.

"You've just now figured that out?" He rolled his eyes and she didn't dare move closer to him.

"Look I think we should jus' settle this right now." Lifting himself up, her hovered over the counter and grabbed something. When he turned around she couldn't help but back away.

He held a knife.

"What do you think you're doing?!" She screamed wedging herself between some tables in case he decided to do something rash.

"Kill me Lucy. Kill me. End yer suffering." She was shocked. Shocked because he was doing something so selfless. A deed that would rid them off the curse, rid her of being an Ignacio. Rid her of Natsu forever.

Naturally she began to weep.

"Don't be like tha princess." He laughed weakly. "We're both gettin weak, you deserve ta live."

"So do you!" Time ceased to move as she ran over to him. Her fingers gripped his wrist, her other hand dripping with blood as she pried the blade away from him.

"We'll figure it out." She declared proudly. Though bloody, she still gripped his neck, bringing his face down to her own.

"What the hell were you thinking idiot." She continued to weep, continued to take in his scent in case she never got the chance to smell it again.

"I was tryna fix this fer ya." Because he cared deeply for her, though he'd never admit it.

"Thanks for the effort, but you're not dying on my watch." She no longer cared if he was the sole reason she was kept alive by Mard Geer. She didn't care if he truly knew why he'd been summoned to earth, nor cared if he wanted to rule her world alongside his brother. No.

She only cared about the feeling of his lips as she pressed hers against his own.


	13. Chapter 12

She stood in front of the shop. It hadn't changed since the time she first visited it.

It wasn't hard for Lucy to sneak out of the bar, Natsu snoring logs and Juvia sitting in a corner braiding her hair while staring at a picture of the ice demon.

She stepped inside, her nose crinkling instantly at the heavy scent of incense. Behind a desk sat Mirajane and upon noticing the blonde she stood knocking over a lamp.

"Lucy!" She cried. The white haired woman sighed as she gripped the blondes shoulders. She could just barely feel bone beneath her seemingly paler skin. Even if Lucy hadn't noticed, Mira could instantly see the effects of being an Ignacio.

"Is he with you?" She asked sniffing the air. She could smell his awful scent, but hadnt caught sight of him.

"No. In fact I came to consult you about Natsu."

"Has he hurt you?" Lucy chuckled. Of course he'd hurt her, but not in the ways that Mirajane had conjured up in her mind. Lucy was in love with Natsu. She would no longer deny this feat.

But she knew he was not in love with her.

"No he hasn't. I came because I want to know how to get rid of it."

"I should've known you'd be back." Mira poured tea, handing a steaming cup over to the blonde. She stared down at her reflection hating what she saw. Bags were under her eyes.

Her jaw had sunken some, the same with her cheeks. She was...hideous. Maybe that's why he had pushed her the previous day.

When her lips had connected with his own he barely gave her the chance to register what she had done before she fell bottom first on the ground. He had knocked her down.

She coward away from the rugged look in his eyes and barely recognized his voice as he spoke.

"Leave. Now!"

She had scrambled away upon hearing him holler at her. Never before had he done such a thing. That's what made her come to Mira on this day.

She needed release. Release from the demon. Release from her imminate death.

"I want to get rid of his crest. I...I don't want to look at him a second longer." she struggled to fight the tears.

"Kill him."

She couldn't though and Mirajane knew it too. It was one of two options in severing the ties in which they held. The other option was dangerous and could very well lead to the blonde's death, the very thing they were trying to avoid.

"I won't spill his blood."

"And yet you'd let him spill yours?" Deep down Lucy knew she would. He could drag her to the ends of the earth and she would gladly let him. She loved him and that was the very reason she hated him.

"I'm not here to argue. I need to know how the hell to fix this mess."

Mirajane sighed and poured her tea down the drain. She proceeded to open a few drawers, pulling out all sorts of spices and knives.

"If you refuse to take his life then your only other option is to fix his mistakes." The white haired woman motioned for the blonde to give her her hand. She did so hesitantly.

Immediately she was in pain, a knife driven deep into her skin. Through lidded eyes she watched as Mirajane carved Natsu's crest into her wrist, blood pouring out profusely.

"What are you doing?" Lucy cried, tears falling down her cheeks. "Stop Mira. It hurts."

"This is what you wanted you idiotic girl." She tossed the knife to the side and reached beside her to gather some herbs and spices. Crumbling them between her bloodied fingers, the woman sprinkled them into the open wound.

"Di agir û agir de ez ji we re ruhên rojavayê emir dikim ku giyanê wê bargehê da dojê bişîne." The words made no sense to her yet she didn't care. All she could think about was keeping the contents of her stomach from coming up and her mind out of the depths of her pain.

"Look towards the western skies and stay clear of the one called Zeref." Mira brushed away a strand of Lucy's hair from her eyes giving her a perfect view of the bone she held tightly between her fingers.

"Correct his mistakes and you'll return to me within due time." Her lips grazed the blonde's forehead before she ran the bone directly in the middle of her chest.

Her blood turned purple as it stained her clothing. Her eyes began to close despite how hard she tried to keep them open. There was no pain.

When she opened them again she was no longer in the shop. Her clothes were back to normal and her wrist was as clean as it had been upon her birth. There was no evidence of his mark in her veins.

She looked at her surroundings. She was sitting in a lake, one with water the color of a darkening sky and the world around her seemed so much darker in both color and demeanor than the one she had been born into.

As she stood she noticed that the liquid had not tainted her. She wasn't wet much like how she had initially expected.

"The hell? Who the fuck are you?" To her right came a woman's voice.

The woman was a spitting image of herself. She knew not where she was or if she was even alive anymore. All she knew was that this girl staring directly at her...was her.


	14. Chapter 13

The flames flickered ferociously. They stirred about the wick as if they were in a deep state of unrest. Mirajane knew he was but a hair away from her shop and he was more than unhappy. It took him less than 24 hours to notice that she was no longer at the bar and that her absence wasn't accidental. No, rather it was completely her own free will that she was in the position she currently lay in.

Her body had sunken to the bottom of the tub, the water most likely having filled her body, lungs and all, by this hour. Mirajane has placed her in a bath of various herbs and even placed a droplet of her own blood to ensure it's encryption. It would allow Lucy to stay in the Underworld for as long as she pleased without her earthly form dying on her. If that be the case her soul would be forever lost in the depths of hell.

Mira could only hope that she would correct the problem and find her way out.

Finally the flames died out and she could feel his presence behind her. Quickly she drew the curtain that hid away the dormant body in her shop. A body that appeared freshly dead didn't exactly keep customers coming back. She found that out the hard way. Nonetheless the demon before her looked as if he wanted more than just her head on a stick.

"Tell me where she is and I migh' leave ya breathin'." With every exhale of his breath a puff of smoke followed. There was a fire much greater than her candles could ever muster burning inside of him.

"Why should I disclose such information to you? What will she gain from you dragging her back to idleness. Can't you see you're killing an innocent girl!?" Mirajane couldn't help but scream in his face. She was tired of her eyes constantly drifting over to the blonde and finding every part of her that had grown frail because of her title of Ignacio.

"An' doesn't anyone fuckin' see tha' I'm trying here?!" He hollered back with as much ferocity as she had. His eyes were glassy as he pushed her aside nearly knocking her to the ground. With little effort he tore down the cream colored curtain, his eyes growing wide as he stared at her naked body. As much as he'd love to stand there and follow the curves of her breasts and the dip of her thighs, he couldn't. The fact that she was in such a state meant danger for the both of them.

"What have you done to her?" Tiny sparks sprinkled from his fingers. Had he any magic essence left in him he probably would have killed Mira and left her shop in complete ruin. The only standing thing would have been the girl before him. Her hair, so light and angelic, floated occasionally to the top. Her mouth, agape from her last sigh before her soul was sent away, left bubbles slowly making their way to the surface. It was the only indication of life in her deadened body.

Mirajane quickly grabbed hold of her stele, a perfect weapon against a demonic being.

"I only aided her in her journey to finding solitude from you and your antics." His hands moved towards the tub in attempts to pull her body from the water. Immediately he felt a sharp pain in his bicep. Mira had grazed his arm with her weapon.

"Don't you dare touch her. She'll die if you remove her from there." And with that he refrained from touching her. Instead he stared at her breasts which where barely covered by her crossed hands. Even in such a still state she was radiating light.

Her skin looked as soft as it had before and her lips were faintly colored rouge. The demon couldn't help but extend one hand down and graze her body with his fingers. Delicately he traced the curves of her hips and, despite himself, avoided touching any private part of her that was showing.

"She came to me this morning." Mirajane finally decided to tell him what was going on. In technicalities is existence on this earth was in stake and he should at least know what was going on. Of course there wasn't anything he could do about it. He was stuck in limbo basically.

"She asked me how to get rid of your crest. I can only assume you pissed her off somehow and that's what brought her here. Anyways I gave her the options and she chose this one. I was reluctant to do it. Trust me I really was. I care more about her safety than you ever will." She sneered her last sentence at the demon.

"Whatever. Ya sent her to hell yet ya wanna claim ya care bout her? Bullshit!" In an instant her throat was between his fingers and he slammed her body against the nearest wall. "Imma communicate with her an' bring her back before she kills herself." Both of them knew the only way to do that would be, first and foremost, through the stele held tightly in the nephilim's grasp.

"She'll die regardless of what you do." She managed to spit the words out. Literally. His grasp was much stronger than anything she'd ever known to exist and she could feel her conscience dwindling away. Before she knew it the entirety of her body felt as if it were in flames. She was frozen in her spot and it took her mind much longer than normal to realize that he had let go and she writhing on the floor. With one look she saw her skin turning red, much like the flames that danced atop her candles.

He'd set her on fire from the inside and there was no way of surviving such a demonic power. If a demon truly wanted you dead, there was no hope of escape. He bent down and grabbed the knife from between her burning fingers. The demon smiled at her as he spat in her face.

"Ya hurt my princess." He said as he dug the sharpest part of the knife into the blonde's forehead. With careful movements he created a symbol, that of his crest in the middle of a neatly drawn pentagram. Not even a drop of blood seeped from her skin. He could at least thank Mirajane for encrypting her body nicely enough to preserve it for more than a months time.

"Anybody that hurts maLucy dies."


	15. Chapter 14

The blonde had folded into herself, the air around her chilled yet warm at the same time. The sky above her was a deep red and lacked in clouds or a source of light. The ground was equally dark and surrounded by broken pieces of pavement.

Where ever she was, it had been abandoned long ago.

Meanwhile her counterpart was fully clothed, but not really since her outfit was quite revealing and left very very little to the imagination. It was form fitting and cut out around the breast area, a one piece that left her bottom half hanging out.

"We share the same name and looks..."

"Yet we're nothing alike. My figure is obviously in better shape than yours." The other Lucy, or shall we say Luce for sake of avoiding confusion. Lucy had even taken notice of how Luce's voice was a pitch lower than her own.

"Could you at least get me something to wear. It's getting kind of cold." Her lips were chattering and she was in urgent need of some kind of warmth.

Luce scoffed and pulled off her stockings and the skirt that had barely covered the bottom half of her one piece. The skirt was torn up and the stockings just barely wrapped around Lucy's breasts. At least it covered the most vital part.

It wasn't very warm though.

"What are ya doing here anyways?" Luce came closer to Lucy, so close that she could see the gleam in her eyes.

"Ah...well.." She twiddled her thumbs not sure if she should disclose the truth or let it all out in the open. They were nearly the same person, but even she could hold an evil streak within herself.

For all she knew this Lucy could be a maniac killer.

"Ya ain't gotta worry bout me. I don't think I have it in me to hurt myself. No matter how annoying your frilly little voice is." Lucy couldn't help but mentally facepalm. If this just happened to be her demonic counterpart then maybe she was as pure as Natsu claimed her to be.

"Well...I'm an Ignacio and I've come to separate myself from the demon connected to me."

"Sounds pretty tough. So you're human eh? Pretty stupid move on your part. You're body is obviously too weak to be jumping worlds and yet you still did it. Do you even have a plan? What do you think will happen if you run into the wrong person? Who do you even aim to attack? Who..."

Lucy was appalled and confused at the same time. As Luce spoke her voice began to sound more and more like Natsu's until it practically was his voice.

"Why did...how...you sounded just like..."

"Ugh no time to talk. We gotta go if you don't wanna get caught by Zeref's men."

"Zeref?"

"He's king of this place and a total ass if you ask me." As she spoke her voice continued to waver between Lucy's and Natsu's. If the blonde's wasn't hurting before, it sure was now.

Now she knew the name of the king and also Natsu's brother if she could remember correctly. If what Mard Geer had said was indeed the truth, then the demon she so helplessly loved was next in line for the throne of hell.

"What about his brother?" she dared to ask.

The other blonde paused for a moment, already having started making her way towards the lights in the distance.

"I don't know much about him, but I know for a fact that his feelings are the most sincere out of all of us." Why Lucy's heart began pounding when Luce looked at her, she didn't know. It was as if Natsu was there saying all of these things to her. But she knew he wasn't and that thought made her heart sink once more.

It didn't take long to arrive into the heart of hell itself. Though warm, it wasn't like the stories she had been told as a kid, of rings of fire and eternal suffering.

Maybe she didn't see that part of it because she was living and connected a demon. Either way it wasn't friendly looking and the homes seemed more of poverish than luxurious.

Windows were broken and shingles were ripped off of roofs.

"Sorry if this doesn't please you. Everyone fights for survival here." Luce stated as she opened up two large wooden doors. Immediately the blondes were meet with a staircase leading down into the cellar.

Luce went first, lighting up lanterns with a single breath as she went. At the end of the staircase was a tiny living space. It had a couch and a bed and a kitchen all spaced out into one room. It was much cozier looking than what she saw above ground, but it appeared as more of a man cave than a ladies living quarters.

Not even the worst part of Lucy was this messy.

"I don't have much to offer, but I'll let you stay here until morning. Then you're on your own."

"Thanks for the hospitality." She sat down on the couch upon which she found Luce staring directly at her barely covered breasts. Then she proceed to grope and squeeze them.

"Mine are definitely softer than yours. Is one bigger than the other?" Lucy slapped her hands away, a mad blush stained across her cheeks.

"You remind me more of Natsu than myself. I don't know how I like that." Lucy scolded, grabbing the nearest cloth item and covering herself with it.

"You're way too smart to be a blonde." Luce laid herself down on the bed, the metal beneath it squeaking with every little move she made.

"And you're way too trustworthy to be a demon. Yet another trait that reminds me of Natsu."

"You keep bringing up Natsu. You must like him a lot." The other blonde teased from her spot on the bed.

"Shut up and just let me get some sleep. I've had a long day." Lucy turned away from her counterpart and snuggled up against the back of the couch.

"How can you be so sure that I'm not Natsu?" The question was asked at the perfect time. Lucy was an inch away from dreamland and could barely register what was said, though it would come to haunt her in her innermost thoughts.

Maybe the so called demon sleeping right across from her was in fact the one she was trying to escape from.


	16. Chapter 15

"She'll only last a few more days in here." Juvia ran her fingers through the water, trying her hardest not to look at Lucy's nude body. Through her fingers she could feel the vibrations of a faint heartbeat, the water pulsing with the life that Lucy still clung too.

"Shit." The fire demon groaned as he stared at the girl beneath him. If she so much as died on him, he would bring her back to life just to kill her again. Sending herself unarmed into the demon realm was the worst decision she could've ever made and even with the contact he secretly kept with her it wouldn't be enough to save her life from danger. Her soul was open to any demon to take if they pleased and there was nothing he could do to bring her back.

"How much longer can you hold on?" Juvia asked, all too aware of his contact with her. She didn't know what form he decided to take, but she hoped it would be something strong enough to take on lesser enemies should Lucy get in trouble.

Little did she know the part of his mind he linked with Lucy's soul took on the blonde's own body. The reason he wasn't entirely sure, but he assumed it had something to do with her nudity that he couldn't stop glancing at. Once she was back and in better health he was sure he would pin her down and make a woman out of her. But that wasn't of importance at the moment.

What was most important was the fact that her lips and fingertips were turning blue, her body was quickly loosing nutrients, no where near her end result, and she was slowly meeting her fate. He'd kept her in the dark long enough about his heritage and title and he'd forever hate himself if he let her die by the hands of his brother.

Lucy didn't know what to think of the person staring at her. She looked just like Lucy, so much so that she even had the little scar above her eyebrow that only Lucy knew about. It was so tiny, so minute that no one else was able to notice, but she'd had it since a toddler and could easily pick it out of a crowd to say the least.

Even their voices were the same, granted at times Lucy swore she sounded like Natsu. However she didn't know if it was just her mind playing tricks on her or if it was something that she was actually psychically hearing. Nonetheless she blamed it on the fact that her mind seemed to always drift back to the demon in question.

She wanted to get rid of him, to preserve her life and her happiness for much longer than he could ever provide, but she often found herself thinking about the taste of his lips and the feeling of his skin against hers. She'd only kissed him once, the one time that she had the guts to show how she truly felt about him. She was in love no doubt, but she refused to let herself believe it.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Luce chimed in from behind her. The other blonde was staring at her lips, where her fingers lay. Lucy hadn't even realized she'd been caressing her own lips in the midst of thinking about Natsu's own lips. Her cheeks immediately flushed and she scrambled for an excuse behind why she was doing that.

"Nothing! My lips are just chapped that's all." She mumbled the last part of her sentence hoping that her demonic counterpart would just drop it. If she was anything like Lucy then she would, however if Natsu's persistence ran through every demon's blood then Lucy would be screwed.

"Hmm, not quite believable but I'll let you slide for now. Besides I'm still curious as to why you're here anyways." Lucy sighed mentally, but dreaded confiding in a demon. No matter how many similarities they had, the blonde had a hard time putting trust in the demon before her. Something seemed off about the doppleganger in front of her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it exactly.

For pete's sake she didn't even know if she was alive right now. For all she knew everything could've gone wrong on Mira's fault and now she was stuck in the Underworld for eternity.

"I'm just trying to get back home."

"Now we both know that's a lie princess." Princess? Lucy looked up at herself, at her counterpart that was trying her hardest not to meet Lucy's gaze. Lucy knew that Luce was right, she really wasn't here just to get back home. That would be a waste of her trip if she didn't even accomplish anything.

"I'm here to find a solution. I'm trying to get rid of a thorn in my back." But the more she thought about it, the more she realized this wasn't just for her. "But I also want to save a mother and a little baby I met a while back. I want to save as many Ignacios as I can before I myself wither away." Erza. She had grown fond of Erza and her little baby within the time she'd known them. She hoped that she had found her husband, that Jellal got to hold his child and look upon his wife with love and care.

"I don't want anyone else to die because of some demon's selfish desires."

"So you're searching for Zeref huh?" Lucy didn't quite know who she was looking for, but she assumed that the king was the prime source behind what was going on. So if Zeref was the king then she indeed was looking for him.

"Whoever's head deserves to be on a plate." Luce chuckled.

"I couldn't agree with you more."

Before her loomed the largest building she'd ever seen in her life. She probably couldn't even classify it as simply a building. It was magnificent and more like a castle in a dreamland than a rugged mansion in the realms of hell. All around her she could hear wails of sorrow, of people crying out for a home she knew they would never return to. This was the hell she'd heard horror stories of; the hell that was worse than the life she was currently living.

"So where can I find this Zeref guy?" Luce smirked and pointed towards the castle. Lucy sighed. She didn't want to go anywhere near there. Gargoyles of creatures that could only lurk in the worst of nightmares stared down at her. Men with burning red eyes and black markings along their bodies stood taunt in front of each entrance, not a single weapon in between their fingers. Lucy thought of Natsu's ability to produce and manipulate fire. Perhaps they had some sort of 'power' as well.

Either way she hoped she'd never have to find out. Her only goal was to get rid of the source of her problems.

"You need a plan first. Zeref is heavily guarded by many men." Lucy could tell that very easily. She knew beyond those doors was most likely a fleet that stood between herself and her enemy.

"I need a weapon, something that can make a clean cut. I also need a way in and a way to get to Zeref without any other confrontations."

"You're asking for suicide then princess."

The blonde very well knew that she would die doing this. A part of her held onto the hope that she wouldn't. Eventually her soul would find it's way back to her body. No matter how skilled Mirajane was, she had no way to keep Lucy's soul in a different realm forever. In the end if she couldn't kill Zeref then she could return to her body and consult Juvia. Lucy knew his exact location now and with demonic help from the other side she could surely bring an end to his reign.

"I know, but this is a necessity now. It's no longer a choice of mine."

"If you're so desperate for freedom why didn't you just kill your demon? An Ignacio is no longer bound if the demon has lost their soul." She couldn't quite give an answer to that question. On the surface her heart told her she didn't kill Natsu that day because he was only a temporary fix to the problems of all Ignacios. Deep down in her soul her heart told her she didn't kill him because she loved him. That she could never admit though. To say she loved the very demon that was taking her life was absolute insanity.

So instead she said, "My demon isn't around me on Earth."

"Is that so?" Luce grinned a devilish grin. It wasn't a facial expression that Lucy could have ever made in the entirety of her life. It was something that she'd only seen on Natsu once before, when he knew someone was lying about something.

"I can get you in. I can get you to Zeref, but his blood his on your hands. Not mine."

"Deal."

They shook hands.

I haven't updated this story in what seems like FOREVER!! I'm fixing to start college so updates probably aren't going to start being regular, but they will be more frequent than not. I hope you guys still enjoy this story!!! :))) (This also isn't profreaded at all so sorry about any major mistakes.


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